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The 5 Most Beautiful Things Project.

November 1, 2012

And did you feel it, in your heart, how it pertained to everything?

And have you too finally figured out what beauty is for?

And have you changed your life? ~from The Swan by Mary Oliver

Let’s Make #The5MostBeautifulThings Project Viral! The world needs this! Join us on Twitter @5MBTProject

My partner in crime Jenni Young of Simplereminders.com made this poster for our project. Click to connect with them.

Become an Active Beauty Seeker.

The other day I wanted to read a poem by Mary Oliver to my yoga class, as I am prone to do being a poetry addict and all, and I couldn’t find it. Wild Geese was the one. One of my favorites. So I said the first line:

You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting

and then, much to my delight, I kept going. I knew the whole thing by heart. I guess I knew that I knew it. (Don’t we always know?)

That’s what we do with beautiful things. We tuck them away. We use them when we need them, in our bearlike way. We use them as fuel. We breathe them. We give them away. We remember them as long as we can.

Sometimes we miss them completely.

Words do it for me. They excite me, the way they roll around in my mouth, and the feel of them, the texture both shocking and comforting at the same time like a million smooth marbles. And if they are strung together just right, those little white Christmas lights of words make me close my eyes and wish them never to leave. That they would stay forever there on that tree lighting it up and that the moment would never darken and the tree would never die and I would never let the words escape from the safety of my mouth, whether they were spoken aloud or not.

They would light me from the inside out for the rest of my life.

That’s kind of how it is with certain words for me. Certain turns of phrase, and poems and sentences. They knock me out with weight and I want to keep them as if they belong to me and not to the world.

This is what beauty often does. We want to claim it and make it part of us.

Our lives need beauty. Relenteless, unremitting beauty.

I was driving this morning to a client to teach him yoga and I started to think about the five most beautiful things I saw at that very moment. I am not sure why because I was at a traffic light and it was grey and cold outside. I saw a dirty purple sign for Donuts! and a beautiful blonde teenager with a sign that said: Hungry. Please help.

These things struck me as beatiful right then in that moment. So I kept going, kept looking. What else could I find?

This is the challenge: Every hour stop what you are doing and write down the 5 most beautiful things to you right in that moment. Every hour or as often as you can! You can also post pics in addition to writing them down. Just connect in some way and find the beauty.

I can hear you already: But I am on the freeway. I am at work. There is nothing beuatiful. I am watching tv. I am in a bad mood, I can’t see anything beautiful. I don’t have my glasses on.

It’s there! Look! It’s right there. It’s here. Close your eyes and see it even if it is not right in front of you, even if you have to dig into the well of your imagination which might feel has run dry of beauty a long time ago.

Even then.

Here’s a a line from a poem I wrote called “Speaking In Code” 

Beauty, unremitting like this, so hard to come by-

And yet it is everywhere, this beauty.

You can’t ignore something so beautiful.

Make your list and keep filling it up and when there is no room get a new paper and keep going and going and going. You will amaze yourself. You will find that you are actively looking for beauty wherever you are. No matter what. And what else is the point? What is beauty for if not to lighten us up from the inside out and sometimes, from the outside in?

I asked my tribe on Facebook what the 5 most beautiful things were for them and here are some of their responses:

Kelly Eckert The sound of a robin singing in the rain occasionally punctuated by the sound of the wind in the trees. Breathing deeply. My husband’s typing. My son’s face. My daughter’s smile.

Paul Teodo my dad is retiring today after running hospitals and drug treatment centers for the past 35 years. He worked his ass off to try and make a difference in people’s lives, and provided my brother and I with a lot. Now he is finally taking some time for himself. He is 62 and in great health and spirits. I get to see him tomorrow in Nashville, TN.

Kira J Pullig The ocean. My parents 45 years of marriage. The human spirit’s capacity for healing. Flowers. Silence.

Christina Collazo Cathey The cloudless sky above me, my caffeine buzz, my daughter humming a tune, my creativity surging through my veins (oh wait is that caffeine?), and my heart beating in Love. đŸ™‚

Alli Akard in this very moment… the sound of my kids playing, the smell of my lunch and its taste of pure nourishment, the site of the trees rustling in the breeze and the sunshine on my face. beautifully simple.

M’Le Leach At this moment, my dog who is sleeping next to me, my boyfriend(who I know must be having a rough day), My yoga practice, the love and support I get from my friends and family, and the sun shine that hasn’t been seen in a week. đŸ™‚

Katie Chatzopoulos The smile on my nieces face

The roof over my head

The water in my cup

The clothes on my back

The peace in my heart that the storm is passed

Chrissy Santa Maria My tea cup, all my friends, my family, life, restaurants that deliver.

Daisy Lane 1.) My children eating corn on the cob! 2.) The leaves falling from the trees in my yard. 3.) The jazz music playing from the “Maxie with Moxie” playlist 4.) The Reese’s from the plastic pumpkin candy holder on the counter. 5.) The Boston Center for Adult Education catalogue I’m looking through-so many offerings!

Michelle Mendoza My autistic daughter making direct and penetrating eye contact with me and signing “I love you”. That’s pretty much 1-5 for me! đŸ™‚

Liz Vartanian 5 most beautiful things RIGHT NOW: 1) my sweet 3 week old breastfeeding, 2) homemade vanilla extract & jam, 3) down-dogging dogs, 4) the beauty mid-80’s day out, and 5) the moment of meditation when all is quiet for two minutes in the house đŸ™‚ <3 xo

Respect the Rays 1- how quiet it is in my house right now…i can hear my breath. 2- my 3 children 3- hearing the word BENIGN 4-seeing an upside down rainbow and capturing it on “film” 5- my gratitude i feel about getting to go to yoga today.

Rachel Pastiloff 1. My kids, 2. my new favorite book ‘life is a verb by Patti Digh, 3. The amazing colors of the fall trees in my backyard in Georgia, 4. The amazing clouds in the sky before a storm(the really big fluffy ones), 5. My fathers headstone (I know that seems strange but it is the most beautiful thing in the world to me)

Anna Sidoti  just five? I could’ve found 500!!

Beautiful photo of my friend Yulady Saluti by my dear soul brother Robert Sturman. “”Hello cancer, thanks for the scars, now it’s my turn and as you can see I am a cancer warrior.” — Yulady Saluti (32 year old yoga teacher and mother of 6). Click photo to connect to Robert’s page filled with beauty!

My friend Dani Orner who is also my partner in a film we are making about body image. Beauty!!!

There is something about an old typewriter that takes my breath away.

Ronan! One of my best friend’s Emily Rapp’s son who is dying of Tay Sachs Disease. Click link to order her book “The Still Point of the Turning World.” relases March 2013 Penguin Press.

This sky. This is why I am going to Bali. I am chasing the beauty!~

Yes.

What if we walked around looking for beauty instead of looking for things to be stressed about or offended by? What if we became beauty hunters? What if we told more beautiful stories? What if it was all we saw, even in the dirt? What if we trained our eyes and our hearts to tune into that which makes us cock our head to one side and close our eyes gently in an effort to memorize what we were looking at. What if it is all we got?

What if all we have is our 5 beautiful things?

I have heard my teacher Wayne Dyer tell this story so many times but it always makes me perk up out of my seat and listen as if my life depended on it. (Maybe it does?)

Wayne Dyer used the example of the Holocaust Survivor Victor Frankl who was able to mentally survive living in a concentration camp by finding beauty in a fish head floating in his soup. In a fish head, guys. You read that? A fish head!!

Share below what your 5 most beautiful things are right now and please share this post. Let’s make it viral. What’s your fish head?

Tweet me #5mostbeautifulthings by clicking here 

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60 Comments

  • Reply OneHotMess November 1, 2012 at 4:32 pm

    My little boy sleeping, cherry red lip gloss, an afghan my grandmother crocheted many decades ago, the sound of the loons on the lake, the love and gratitude I feel for everything today. đŸ˜‰

    • Reply Penny Mcivor November 1, 2012 at 4:43 pm

      1. Birdsong
      2. Jungle trees in the breeze.
      3 . My boys faces in a photo.
      4. My body ready for my morning yoga practice and meditation.

      5. Stillness in my flat this early morning.

      Hi Jenny jen. You coming to Hk on road to Bali? Love love xxx

      • Reply Penny Mcivor November 1, 2012 at 4:44 pm

        Love the potential this has to make the world a so much softer place . You are so special. Xx

  • Reply barbarapotter November 1, 2012 at 4:50 pm

    Right now that would be: The calm and beauty of the flowers in my garden under the blue sky, my two cats sleeping peacefully on my bed, the sound of my grandson’s voice age 5 with PWS calling me and saying “Hey Mom” and hanging up, my husband’s voice & kindness.

  • Reply barefoothippiechick November 1, 2012 at 4:51 pm

    1. Charlie and his delightful exploding rocket sounds (my 4 year old pal)
    2. The beautiful raspy voice of Suzanna Choffel (I’m listening on Spotify). She’s got folk swagger.
    3. The basket of candy on the counter from last night’s trick or treating adventure
    4. The light from the sun right now shining through the windows.
    5. My dreams. They are unfolding right before my eyes.

  • Reply Nicole A. (@3DayBigBanana) November 1, 2012 at 4:51 pm

    The color pink (for breast cancer awareness), the phrase “thank you”, the array of colors the leaves turn in the fall, hearing a child’s desire to volunteer for a cause, the look of triumph on a cancer survivor’s face when he/she crosses the finish line after walking 60 miles in the 3-Day for the Cure walk.

  • Reply Mamaste (@mamastenj) November 1, 2012 at 4:55 pm

    Right this second, 5 of the most beautiful things I see: My daughter and Josh. The light and the power. (in all aspects) And my friend, Jennifer Pastiloff, who has an amazing vision to bring this post to as many people as possible so they too, can see the beauty. Bless you for having the gift and sharing it so globally. xoxoxo ~S

  • Reply Bobbi November 1, 2012 at 4:56 pm

    5 BEAUTIFUL THINGS RIGHT NOW… sunset over the rocky mountains outside my window, picture of Max the wonder dog (in heaven) birthday card for my friend on the east coast, ipod with great energy music, water… drinking a glass of life giving water

  • Reply jamesvincentknowles November 1, 2012 at 4:58 pm

    First thing I noticed was the way two beautiful girls were laughing & talking outside sharing time for coffee. Then the sounds os disparately different birds chirping, squawking & cawing. Next, as I looked upwards past the gulls was the feathery delight in the shapes of the clouds & the way they’re filter this afternoon’s light. And finally I noticed how noticing the beauty of what’s around me is what I’ve always done but for a while had stopped doing & by looking around I realized it’s what I love most doing: seeing the beauty in things.

    • Reply ManifestYogaJen November 1, 2012 at 5:00 pm

      that is why you are such a gifted artist/writer!

      • Reply jamesvincentknowles November 1, 2012 at 6:40 pm

        ta, you beautiful you

  • Reply Andrea November 1, 2012 at 5:05 pm

    What an amazing exercise!! Thank you <3

    1. the sunlight dancing through my blinds

    2. the ceiling fan in our bedroom – it reminds me of Thailand (even though I've never been)

    3. my cat Apollo who is hunting flies right now

    4. the hand carved jewelry box that was a gift fr my belovED

    5. and!!! this handwritten blessing for my baby that arrived with a colorful bead attached… "May the rainbow of life always shine upon you!"

  • Reply nancy rattle November 1, 2012 at 5:16 pm

    heart soft – eyes open.
    a never-fail recipe for getting the most from life
    and giving the most to it
    no matter what.

  • Reply Brenda McBryde November 1, 2012 at 5:26 pm

    You inspire me….. I see the beauty in the uplifting posts I am reading right now, I see the beauty of feeling alive, happy and at peace, I see the beauty in my Galileo Thermometer, the hand blown glass, with beautiful colored floaters which my daughter-in-law bought me, I see the beauty in the woods behind my house where the animals are playing, I see the beauty of my kitchen where many meals have been prepared for family and friends.

  • Reply Penny November 1, 2012 at 5:31 pm

    1, My daughter’s curly brown hair on her head which is bent over another text that must be referenced for her nursing degree!
    2, The smell of my horse’s mane when I cry into it.
    3, The greying whiskers on my mate’s chin.
    4, Spaniel ears and chins.
    5, Anything which serves as a vehicle for getting butter to your mouth without having it drip on the furniture!

  • Reply Catherine Itiose November 1, 2012 at 5:34 pm

    My usband, my three angels asleep & my future…Bless

  • Reply Joseph Longo (@joelongophoto) November 1, 2012 at 5:59 pm

    Makaleha from my front porch… Yes I’m in Hawaii and there is so much beauty all around me I dont think I can name just five. Stunning flowers on the table, a very sweet dog, my good friend cooking some amazing food. Oh and some sweet sweet birds. The beauty is all around!

  • Reply Mary Sala (@Flashpoint247) November 1, 2012 at 6:32 pm

    Beauty for me in this moment: my husband’s clean shaven face. With his shock of think chestnut hair, he looks like the boy I fell in love with in college 30 years ago.

  • Reply Jen November 1, 2012 at 7:21 pm

    1 My daughter (definitely NOT) asleep in the next bed.
    2 My freezing cold toes being warmed by my husband.
    3 The unbelievable natural beauty of EVERYTHING in Vermont.
    4 The horses outside and the dog and bunny inside.
    5 The steam my breath makes in the cold Vermont air.

  • Reply Anjannette November 1, 2012 at 7:46 pm

    My sleeping daughter laying across my lap.
    My son curled up under a blanket asleep near me.
    My first sewing project, a pillowcase made with Dora fabric, to remind me of my kids.
    The beautifully formed pumpkin I picked out at the patch two days ago.
    The darkness in my room letting me know that soon I will be getting some sleep.

  • Reply Melanie November 1, 2012 at 7:53 pm

    1- the family that my husband & I have created, 2- our home, 3- power back after hurricane, 4- our health, 5- the memories hanging on our walls. Thank you for this exercise….

  • Reply Frank Gjata November 1, 2012 at 8:37 pm

    What I especially love about this inivtation and exercise is that it simply exemplifies how God is ever present and ever available in infinite forms…and it’s always up to us whether or not…we experience it.

  • Reply Renata Youngblood November 1, 2012 at 9:51 pm

    the good man next to me who loves me. the good puppy next to me growing. the good book beckoning from the table. my tired muscles all happily exercised. my heart all warmed up from noticing this beauty.

  • Reply Danny Nicola November 1, 2012 at 10:30 pm

    1. The dazzling gold glare of the bus stop ticker flickering across the windows of the bus.
    2. The girl with green hair’s stretched ear lobes
    3. City lights shining on really tall palm trees
    4. My hands
    5. The couple laughing and smiling several seats ahead

    đŸ™‚

  • Reply Tammy Hartman November 1, 2012 at 11:35 pm

    1 My dog sleeping as close to me as he can.
    2 The “I love you” tx from my beautiful daughter.
    3 The night breeze coming through my open bedroom window.
    4 The dahlia’s I put to rest in their winter homes.
    5 The freckles on my skin.

  • Reply YogiCrystal November 2, 2012 at 7:00 am

    Right now… the view of the city from my balcony, the delicious pumpkin smoothie I’m having for breakfast, this blog post, my boyfriend, my friends both near and far. <3

  • Reply josh Becker November 2, 2012 at 7:19 am

    1. My laptop
    2. The fog flowing through the tree tops
    3. My sweet dog, Cody
    4. A picture of my kids on Santa’s lap
    5. The words, “Spirituality and Health” on the cover of a magazine.

    I am grateful to you for spreading the message, the only message, we all have to share and that is LOVE.

  • Reply Annie Freeman November 2, 2012 at 7:56 am

    1. The sun starting to shine through the window as it rises up the wall of the parking structure outside my work
    2. the quiet stillness of a yoga studio in the early mornings
    3. My blue heart fuzzy slippers that warm my toes…and the fact that I get to wear slippers at work đŸ™‚
    4. An organic pink lady apple
    5. the smell of hairspray that lingers in my hair from last night’s show…celebrating another opening of another play (and spending 10 extra minutes in bed to forego the 5 AM shower đŸ™‚

  • Reply Janice November 2, 2012 at 9:29 am

    1. The view from my west-facing window, where I can see snow-capped mountains on a clear day.
    2. The pretty mug I treated myself to and the hot coffee inside it.
    3. A photo of my beautiful, healthy, happy son.
    4. The luxurious hand cream I keep on my desk (whipped wild mint lime!).
    5. The feeling of being at the beginning of job that I can see staying in for a long time.

  • Reply Jenny Feldon (@jennyfeldon) November 2, 2012 at 10:02 am

    1) My daughter crawling into my arms so we could watch the sunrise in bed together
    2) My son singing to himself while he races trucks across the living room floor
    3) Hot coffee in my favorite mug
    4) My phoenix necklace–because beauty always rises from the ashes
    5) A deep breath with the dog in my lap, one stolen moment of peace before the craziness sets in again (in 5, 4, 3, 2…)

  • Reply Aleksandra Townsend November 2, 2012 at 12:07 pm

    1. My two children who make me laugh so much and keep me guessing all the time.
    2.Moments of silence when everyone is asleep and I can just sit on my yoga mat and breathe and surrender to my practice.
    3.Ever changing colors of this beautiful fall.
    4.Sipping coffee with my husband.
    5. Sharing yoga with others.

  • Reply Kristen November 2, 2012 at 12:18 pm

    1. The feeling of peace, and hope.
    2. The crisp weather.
    3. The smell/scent of my hair and lotion.
    4. My words.
    5. A moment of reflection and meditation. Thank you.

    Just Breathe.

  • Reply Karen Wan November 2, 2012 at 12:20 pm

    My teenage son Alex, the beautiful picture my son Nicholas gave to me, Sonny, my collie; Ginger our Lhasa Apso, and the rough draft of my novels,

  • Reply Lori November 2, 2012 at 12:20 pm

    1. Meditation
    2. The silver light fixture in my dining room. I think it’s lived some past lives.
    3. My rescue dog, Clancy. He has an anxiety disorder and meditates with me everyday.
    4. The smell between my husband’s shoulder blades. His smell. The one I’ve loved for 35 years.
    5. How wonderful I feel at age 52!

  • Reply Anonymous November 2, 2012 at 12:26 pm

    1) One year of clean and sober thinking.
    2) A perfectly cooked slice of bacon.
    3) The breeze between my balcony and my front door.
    4) A legal pad filled with notes.
    5) Peace and quiet.

  • Reply Mindie Kniss November 2, 2012 at 1:23 pm

    Love this!

    1) dragonflies playing in the breeze
    2) this blog full of beautiful things
    3) so many wonderful, wise books on this desk
    4) especially Clarissa Pinkola Estés. what a beautiful soul + teacher.
    5) the warmth and solitude of the Arizona desert

  • Reply Marcie November 2, 2012 at 2:45 pm

    What a wonderful and inspiring project. I just had to jump in here:
    1. The last remaining yellow leaf hanging on a tree.
    2. The deep grey skies.
    3. The sweet smell of my dog’s fur.
    4. A never-ending list of ever-changing thoughts.
    5. My long slow deep breath.

  • Reply Lindsey Mead (@lemead) November 2, 2012 at 4:29 pm

    This is just the most marvelous thing. Thank you!!
    #1 my son’s faded but still visible Harry Potter scar from Halloween
    #2 the hand-written note my daughter left on my desk saying “I LOVE YOU”!!
    #3 Mary Oliver’s poetry
    #4 the smell of just-out-of-the-dryer laundry
    #5 the local library

  • Reply stephanie November 2, 2012 at 6:03 pm

    Sitting in the dark while my 2.5 year falls asleep.
    Silence
    Peace with myself
    Thinking of a great friend
    Anticipation of a guided meditation while the entire family is fast asleep

    This is an amazing project and what a wonderful thing to bring awareness to all that is good.

    Thank you

  • Reply heatherballenger November 2, 2012 at 9:33 pm

    My incredible husband, my beautiful children, who teach me something new every single day, my Mama, even though her health is failing her, my yoga, and the amazing new people I’m connecting with in this moment.

  • Reply Lindalou November 2, 2012 at 10:09 pm

    1. My sweet seventeen year old cat sleeping on my lap
    2. The beautiful mug made by my daughter, full of hot tea
    3. The fire blazing in the wood stove
    4. The gorgeous quilt so lovingly made by a long-time friend
    5. The lovely watercolour painting of river otters hanging on the wall

  • Reply Cheryl November 2, 2012 at 11:08 pm

    1) When awaken to another day, it’s another chance for a “do over”
    2) My son prospering and being self-sufficient and happy with life!
    3) Loving and living the life that I want to live by my rules
    4) Having so much passion for health and fitness and changing lives!
    5) Living in LA and appreciating every minute of it!!

  • Reply happilyyes November 3, 2012 at 8:57 am

    1. A piece of my son’s artwork hanging on the wall in front of me
    2. This gorgeous fall day
    3. Picture of my soul mate doggie that passed on staring back at me from the bookcase
    4. The silence in my apartment right now
    5. My adorable little houseplants sitting in the window

  • Reply Suzy Shatz November 3, 2012 at 10:21 am

    1) love of family & friends despite geographical location 2) resiliency 3) health & well being 4) ability to create and move wherever & whenever 5) freedom

  • Reply anna pereira November 3, 2012 at 10:27 am

    my husband
    my dog
    my waistband being a little too tight right now from a wonderful family lunch
    the fall becuse it’s cuddle season
    nothing that has to be done yet so much that needs to be done in this moment
    xo

  • Reply PhoenixRose360 (@PhoenixRose360) November 3, 2012 at 10:27 am

    as a victim of Hurricane Sandy…the 5 beautiful things

    1) my life
    2) my family & loved ones
    3) my home
    4) electricity/heat/food
    5) the love of the world coming to help NYC recover

  • Reply Michele November 3, 2012 at 11:59 am

    my daughter, music, the sunshine, painting, love

  • Reply Karyn November 3, 2012 at 1:35 pm

    My husband, My boys, the roof over my head, the food on my table and coffee. First thing in the morning here …. coffee is a wee priority at this point in time :).

  • Reply Hellie November 3, 2012 at 3:15 pm

    At this moment, right here, right now; photographs of my closest friends’ children,whom I adore, (watching a programme about Fredom Riders,) a deep love of the deep South and the dream of going back soon, a models of a house in Charleston, SC this summer and a jazz musiic in New Orleans last summer and the memories they trigger, fireworks exploding outside (it’s Guy Fawke’s Day on Mon) and yjhe new Matraca Berg CD which is in my CD player.

  • Reply Lennay Chapman November 3, 2012 at 4:56 pm

    Right now, my five most beautiful things are: warmth, hot coffee, an Internet connection, a comfy seat and silence. Thanks for making me notice Jennifer!

  • Reply Roy Weiner November 4, 2012 at 10:15 am

    Lilah
    Janey
    Owen
    Zachary
    Gavin
    My 5 beautiful grandchildren

  • Reply Sage Q. November 5, 2012 at 9:28 am

    My husband and daughter
    People, including my own, ability to overcome
    Connections with others
    My life
    That even when I feel flat broke I still have the resources to make ends meet

  • Reply rebeccabutler November 7, 2012 at 4:27 pm

    Here is my submission, fearless one! Cheers!!

    https://rebeccabutleryoga.com/the-5-most-beautiful-things/

  • Reply Jenni Young November 10, 2012 at 3:54 pm

    Hands down right now, I am grateful for the beauty of my creativity/apple computer, my 5D Camera, my joy, my creative partner – Bryant and Jen’s Pastiloff’s inspiration đŸ™‚ Wooohooo!!!!

  • Reply Christa Gallopoulos (@carryitforward) November 13, 2012 at 4:15 am

    Jen, this is wonderful. Just wonderful.

    I found you through Lindsey at A Design So Vast, and would love to connect others to you through WomenHeal…

    Thank you! Off to tweet…

  • Reply Christa Gallopoulos (@carryitforward) November 13, 2012 at 4:16 am

    1 – Dawn

    2 – the faces of my beloveds

    3- breath

    4- open hearts and minds

    5- my dog’s tail

  • Reply Sommer November 13, 2012 at 7:03 am

    My fisher space pen that can write upside down, underwater, even the astronauts us them in space! They write so so well, I love pens, space pens are my fav. Knowing I am about to sit down and write and study. My boyfriend still sleeping in bed and how all night in his sleep he cuddles me and if I move he pulls me back to him. And when I tell him he does this he vehemently denies; he says that’s impossible. But every night I feel loved and important and validated. The new friends I have made from yoga teacher training are brilliant and real.
    And the silence required to make anything meaningful. The binary code, the zeroes, the space between the music, heart in between beats. Those spaces allow the beauty.

  • Reply Jeremy Sunkett November 23, 2012 at 9:41 am

    The cloud that I saw this morning which looked like a wing all alone in the sky and the feeling that it was a sign from God;

    Words from my wife that pulled me out of my frustration this morning and reminded me of how deeply she knows me;

    The distant, non-descript sounds of work (trucks backing up, machines operating, people walking, etc.)–people trying to moving our world forward;

    My 5-year old’s expression of gratitude for being able to spend Thanksgiving with his Pop-Pop;

    The packages of cookies with grocery store gift cards stuck to the bottom that my neighbor left for me and my family every week while I was out of work.

  • Reply Confessions of an Imperfect Life November 27, 2012 at 7:35 pm

    […] on recalling how happy I had been just one short day earlier.    And then I remembered: The 5 Most Beautiful Things Project.  Earlier this month, my friend and mentor, Jen Pastiloff, started the 5 Most Beautiful Things […]

  • Reply Calm. Still. Grateful. Three Practices to Come Home to You. September 15, 2014 at 6:07 am

    […] came across beauty hunting earlier this year via Jen Pastiloff’s amazing site, The Manifestation. In 2012 Jen started The 5 Most Beautiful Things Project and is increasingly spreading this […]

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