Have you ever wondered… about ullassa? I have. It is a Sanskrit word, representing any heartwarming feeling that arises when you observe and appreciate natural beauty. It could be a sunrise, a sunset, a tranquil forest, or a captivating storm. Maybe you really like the view of a brick wall or a stone path. Earlier this week, my capacity for cuteness nearly overloaded while watching a baby squirrel run around through a yard. Its bushy, tiny tail was absolutely adorable, and seeing how it was clearly still learning how to hop around in a balanced and coordinated way filled me with so much awe and admiration for natural life. Watching woodland critters around my home delights me on a regular basis (unless the squirrels are trying to inappropriately raid my feeders). I have learned that I do not always need to be staring at a screen or engaging in extroverted, social activities. Instead, I see plenty of beauty in many simple things. Unfortunately, I believe too many others take these passing pleasures for granted, glossing right over them with blind eyes.
Youth is happy because it has the capacity to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.
-Franz Kafka
Ullassa can serve as a good reminder to slow down. Then, you can engage with your senses more. See, hear, smell, taste, and feel more than you typically do by being more present and calmly engaged right here and right now. When did you last sit still and watch the sun move across the sky? Observe the slow shift in the spectrum as colors burst forth or fade away across the horizon. Do you ever watch clouds form together and fall apart? Are you soaking in the range and details of naturally-beautiful and colorful surroundings, or are you tuned out and checked out, living in an ennui noir grayscale?
At some point in life, the world’s beauty becomes enough.
-Toni Morrison
I will openly and honestly share one of my weirder life experiences. You will choose to believe me or not, but it will not change what I believe or how I live. My vision shifts in notable and noticeable ways whenever I am more present and positive. When I start to simply see the scenery with selfless, loving appreciation, it all takes on a more crisp and captivating condition. In complete contrast, when I rush around or feel down and out, the same exact bookcase does not feel or look as warm and inviting. By taking more mindful moments to calmly move through life, I see and value more beauty in everything, and it makes living more pleasant as well as significantly more engaging. I value this ability.
too often we get caught up in our imagination, creating heavy narratives about the past or craving something in the future, altogether missing the beautiful moment that is right in front of us. every moment has potential, and that potential is defined by how we arrive into it. our minds have the power to turn a moment that might easily have been forgotten into something awe-inspiring and positively life-changing.
-yung pueblo
Even now, collecting myself more wholly to wisely write these words sparks an aliveness in this room that, minutes ago, was not here as much as it is now. I delight in in-depth details, I partake in more particulars, and I bask in yet more beauty. You do not have to take my word for it. Tap into your inner beauty as you connect with natural beauty all around you right now. Look past whatever may be upsetting you. Find the true joy and wonder that is buried beneath it. Some things may require a lot of digging to get to the valuable worth waiting, but it is worth it. Can you redefine a high definition view of life?
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell. Stay wondrous, y’all :) <3