The beauty of Soul — You!

Do you long for beauty? How do we find more beauty in our lives?

This morning I was looking out the window over breakfast and I was enthralled by all the lush green leaves and grass outside. Spring is in full force, and I can’t say I mind in the least. I love the lilac bushes, the flowering trees, and the stunning flowers. I have say I’m a big fan of color, where ever it shows up. I love the amazing range of hues, saturation, and depth color can offer. The range of colors that exist fascinate the eye. Simply put, color is beautiful.

But beauty’s origin is not found in physical appearance, body type, or in wearing expensive clothes. Beauty is more than physical and material forms. Beauty is a quality of thought and its origin is found in divine Mind, or Soul — the source of all lovely goodness.  

To find more beauty in yourself, start by acknowledging the qualities of good as being in God, or Soul, and therefore eternal, infinite, and unlimited. Because beauty is found in Soul, it is not subject to time, age, social status, orFloral arrangement found at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston money. The beauty of Soul is unlimited and is found in you, now!

To understand this better, start by taking the time to write down the qualities you love, whether they are qualities you see in yourself or qualities you’d like to have more of in your life. Take those qualities and associate them first with God, divine Love, and deeply consider their unlimited supply.

Then, take these qualities, and acknowledge that because all beauty comes from God, Soul, all good qualities are in you, too! You are Soul’s image and likeness — you are therefore soulful and beautiful. Then, look for ways to put them into practice. One quick way to do so, which requires only a little bit of time and thought, and no money — see these good qualities as present in your friends, family, roommates, schoolmates, or co-workers, just as you would for yourself. Even if it takes 10 minutes, look for and acknowledge the good in the people you see in your daily life.

If you want to see beauty in yourself, sometimes the best place to start is by seeing the beauty that is in others. Sometimes all the ugliness we accept in the world around us, also taints the way we see ourselves. Or, it is the other way around: by accepting ourselves as disfigured, we feel everyone else is ugly and disfigured, too. 

If there are qualities of beauty you’d like to see more of in your life, don’t accept the opinion that they are not a part of you, or certain mortal genes. Rather, see them as ever-present, or eternal — a permanent part of your complete spiritual design and make up. Soul, the great architect, designed beauty and when Soul designed you, you were made beautiful. 

Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings…
As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. 
— Psalm 17:6-8, 15 

Comeliness and grace are independent of matter. Being possesses its qualities before they are perceived humanly. Beauty is a thing of life, which dwells forever in the eternal Mind and reflects the charms of His goodness in expression, form, outline, and color. It is Love which paints the petal with myriad hues, glances in the warm sunbeam, arches the cloud with the bow of beauty, blazons the night with starry gems, and covers earth with loveliness.

The recipe for beauty is to have less illusion and more Soul, to retreat from the belief of pain or pleasure in the body into the unchanging calm and glorious freedom of spiritual harmony. 

— Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p.247

Power options included

Choices. They are always there even when we get backed into a corner and things look hopeless. Whether you’re dealing with a business, personal finances, relationships, or health care. Everyday we are learning that we have choices, how to make better choices, and how do both consistently.

As a matter of fact, you always have a choice. Sometimes we forget that we can just pause and think. Have you ever spoke to a sales person who is so good at what they do, that within minutes you feel you have to buy what they’re selling? I’ve found myself in that situation several times. But I’ve learned I can stop and think about my options — buy, not to buy, or sleep on it.

Whether we’re buying something, crossing the street, or making a life-changing decision, we never have to buy what fear — limited, anxious thinking — is selling. You are never without power, because God is backing you with infinite and eternal integrity.

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
—Isaiah 41:10

In her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy has a wonderfully simple, yet profound statement: “The time for thinkers has come (p.vii)” We are all thinkers! The amount of thoughts we have in a day range in the thousands. But we can specifically choose the thoughts we want to dwell on, and we can choose the very direction our thoughts take. Divine Mind (God) is alway providing us with the dominion, direction, and a reassurring love — good ideas — that enable us to keep moving forward. All we have to do is listen for them and choose to follow Mind’s intelligent direction.

Science and Health also defines progress as a “law of God” on page 233. This means God’s law only supports forward movement and must include making good decisions. And because progress is a law of God — a law which cannot be broken — we can take courage and know that this law precludes failure, and it excludes the beliefs that God’s good plan for you could be incomplete, fragmented, or include penalties for good choices.

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
—Luke 12:32

Recognize the options you have, right now. Even if they are basic choices: do I turn left or right, stop or go, walk or wait. If you come to a choice that is more “gray”, and you are unsure about which direction to take, don’t get paralyzed in fear. Always give yourself the option to pause and think. You are empowered to trust God’s plan which only leads forward toward more harmony, peace, and even bliss.

To recognize the good options you have, start by acknowledging that you have dominion (power and strength) which comes only from divine Principle, Love, who is infinite good. You can’t make a wrong turn in Love’s kingdom — Love’s intelligence is everywhere! And then be willing to pause and listen for instruction, from Mind, who provides good and beautiful options for you. Be patient for those ideas which provide a sense of peace or that which is apparently good and right. Then act on those ideas. Let your highest sense of right direction lead you. And know that if a change in course is needed down the road, divine Love will provide a good, clear direction for you to follow.

Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way. Right motives give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to speech and action. Love is priestess at the altar of Truth. Wait patiently for divine Love to move upon the waters of mortal mind, and form the perfect concept. Patience must “have her perfect work.”
—Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p.454

Mind power

Ideas fresh & strong flowing from Soul*—divine Mind.
Mind's power is permanent and continuous.

You and I are Mind's image in action,
        good, pure, and whole;
        untouched, unscathed, unharmed.
We remain in the safety of Soul, Mind,
        surrounded only by Love.

One power alone governs me—Mind.
My only mind is Spirit, the divine Mind—
          limitless in form, memory, wisdom.

This divine Mind is only capable of good decisions — intelligence!
And there's nothing artificial about it.
           It only produces natural, beautiful, and good things.
Divine Mind cannot go awry! It is omniaction, omni-present, and is eternal and infinite good.

You and I, our very being and identity, is forever safe in this infinite, divine Mind.

* Mind, Soul, Love, Spirit listed in this poem are four of seven synonyms for God named in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy on page 465 in a answer for "What is God?" The seven listed synonyms in Science and Health are: Life, Mind, Spirit, Soul, Love, Principle, Truth.