MAGNIFICENCE IS WILDNESS. IT IS INSTINCT, LIKE A PLEASURABLE FEELING OR ATTRACTION. AS I CONTINUE MY JOURNEY OF A FAST-PACED LIFE, I TRY TO FILL THE IN-BETWEENS WITH MAGNIFICENCE. I FIND MEANING IN WORKING TOWARDS LONG-TERM GOALS BUT STRIVE TO BE PRESENT AND LIVE AN AESTHETIC LIFE. (IF NOT, I WOULD GO INSANE!) AESTHETICS IS THE KNOWLEDGE GIVEN TO US THROUGH OUR SENSES. IT IS ABOUT MAKING BIG AND SMALL EXPERIENCES MEMORABLE, AND IN THAT WAY ARRANGE LIFE IN A “BEFORE” AND “AFTER”. THUS WE CAN MAKE LIFE SOMETHING MORE THAN A STREAM OF EVENTS WHERE NOTHING STANDS OUT. MARGARET MONTAGUE EXPRESSES SO EXQUISITELY:

“DOUBTLESS ALMOST ANY INTENSE EMOTION MAY OPEN OUR ‘INWARD EYE’ TO THE BEAUTY OF REALITY. FALLING IN LOVE APPEARS TO DO IT FOR SOME PEOPLE. THE BEAUTIES OF NATURE OR THE EXHILARATION OF ARTISTIC CREATION DOES IT FOR OTHERS. PROBABLY ANY HIGH EXPERIENCE MAY MOMENTARILY STRETCH OUR SOULS UP ON TIPTOE, SO THAT WE CATCH A GLIMPSE OF THAT MARVELOUS BEAUTY WHICH IS ALWAYS THERE, BUT WHICH WE ARE NOT OFTEN TALL ENOUGH TO PERCEIVE.”

ALL HUMANS NATURALLY SEEK BEAUTY, BOTH IN OURSELVES AND OTHERS, IN MUSIC AND ART, IN NATURE AND LOVE. SOME CONCRETE EXAMPLES OF BEAUTY THAT I COULD COME UP WITH ARE LISTENING TO GOOD MUSIC (MY FAVORITE DRUG), TREES THAT HAVE WITHSTOOD THE SEASONS’ CHANGING CONDITIONS, FEELING THE SUN WARM AFTER A LONG COLD WINTER (I AM FROM THE COLD NORTH OF NORWAY), A TOUCH, THE MAGIC OF AN EYE GAZE AND A STRANGER’S SMILE. SUCH SIMPLE AND AVAILABLE EXPERIENCES, YET THEY CAN LEAVE A MARK. THE MORE I LOOK FOR BEAUTY, THE MORE I REALIZE THAT IT IS EVERYWHERE. IT IS SIMPLY A MATTER OF BEING WILLING TO HAVE AN OPEN MIND AND BE ABLE TO LOOK FOR WHAT IS NOT ALWAYS AS PROMINENT. THIS IS SOMETHING I GRADUALLY HAVE BECOME MORE AWARE OF. EVEN THE MOST TRAGIC EVENTS CONTAIN BEAUTY. THEY SHOW NEW ASPECTS OF LIFE.

ASPECTS I DID NOT KNOW EXISTED. THEY PROVE TO ME THAT PEOPLE AROUND ME ARE SUPPORTIVE. THEY GIVE ME USEFUL KNOWLEDGE THAT I CAN USE TO HELP OTHERS IN HARDSHIPS AND GROW AS A HUMAN. LOOKING FOR BEAUTY DEVELOPS A MORE OPEN AND CURIOUS PERSONALITY. IT GIVES A GREATER CAPACITY TO BE SURPRISED AND ENJOY MORE EXPERIENCES. QUITE FRANKLY, BEAUTY IS A FORCE. PERCEIVED AND INTEGRATED, IT CAN NOT ONLY TOUCH, BUT CHANGE THOUGHT PATTERNS IN A FUNDAMENTAL WAY. IT MAY NOT BE VITAL FOR OUR EXISTENCE BUT DISCOVERING THE BEAUTY THAT LIFE SO GENEROUSLY BESTOWS ON US GIVES SUCH PLEASURE AND JOY. IT IS NOT ONLY ABOUT OUTER BEAUTY, BUT ABOUT THE ONE THAT IS CREATED INSIDE. THIS INNER BEAUTY GIVES THE ABILITY TO PERCEIVE ALL THE BEAUTY AROUND, SO THAT THE HURT AND THE NEGATIVE BECOME LESS CONSPICUOUS. THERE IS BEAUTY IN THIS VERY MOMENT, AND THE NEXT MOMENT. AND THE MOMENT AFTER THAT. AND FOR THE REST OF OUR EXISTENCE. MAGNIFICENT, RIGHT?