Finding Elegance in Everyday Things

As you sit at your desk today, take a moment to pause and look out the window. Notice how the breeze moves; or how the light delicately touches the clouds. Just one moment.

Elegance doesn't seem so far away now, does it?

We're all tempted to believe our daily lives are devoid of grace or beauty. Our lives are filled with little distractions that, left untended to, pile up and pull us away from the simple joys around us.

Don't let those joys slip away.

Here's a challenge: step away from those distractions. Try stepping out for a walk around your neighborhood. Look out for the little details - how pretty flowers sometimes spring up by the sidewalk, or how the birds are chirping. Have you noticed how the trees respond to the wind? Or how the sky changes colors as the sun begins to set?

When the distractions begin to call again, remind yourself: "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift. That's why we call it the present." Every moment is a treasure. Embrace those moments and let them settle in you.

See? The elegance of Florence isn't so far away. You've had it surrounding you this entire time.

Up for one more challenge?

Preserve those pictures of elegance in a journal. Writing is not simply recording the past. It's a way to anchor yourself in those precious moments and weed out those little disturbances. Take that cup of tea to your window desk and sit. Pick up your pen and finish each day with elegance.