The Practical Application of Beauty to Everyday Life
In my last post, I discussed some of the philosophy and theology behind the concept of beauty. As I promised at the end of that post, this will cover a bit about the practical application of beauty in our own lives and what that can look like.
One of the beautiful things about being human is that we’re all made uniquely in God’s Image and Likeness. This brings a serious issue to the forefront, which is the attempt to fit into a box in which one doesn’t belong. You know what I’m talking about. You might even struggle with it yourself. You might feel a need to dress more, act more, be more this way or that way to be ideal at your job, or to be an ideal spouse, or to be an ideal man or woman. Don’t get me wrong, it’s one thing to look at Christ and learn where the soul needs to grow – this is good, and healthy! However, it’s another thing entirely to compare ourselves with others or create an ideal in our minds and make that a box to fit into. It’s easy to hold up a certain concept of how someone ought to act in order to fit a particular role and make that the standard for which everyone should live by. Or at least – as you might have experienced yourself think, even subconsciously – you yourself should fit into that mold if you want to be the ideal manager, business owner, artist, youth minister, mom, woman, or fill-in-the-blank.
This is dangerous thinking. In pushing ourselves into molds we don’t naturally fit into, we remake ourself in a different image and likeness other than the One Who made us. And I know I’m going to sound harsh here, but this is also very prideful thinking. Who are we to think we know better than He does?
In beginning to explore applying beauty to our own lives, we absolutely must be careful to avoid falling into the trap of thinking we must force ourselves into a mold. You and I have been made uniquely in the Image and Likeness of God. You and I reflect particular facets of God that only you and I can reflect. Nobody else ever has reflected them. Nobody else currently is reflecting them. Nobody else will ever reflect them. You get to reflect a particular facet that only you will ever get to reflect, and so do I.
So, no shoving ourselves into boxes we weren’t meant to fit into. Okay?
With that being said, what follows are some practical ideas that may be helpful in creating a more beautiful life. You won’t find a one-size-fits-all prescription, checklist, or outline because I can’t tell you what’s the best way to apply beauty to your life. That’s something you get to discern with God – and what a beautiful thing that is!
What’s your state in life?
The first idea I’d like to propose is to be mindful of your state in life. You might be a busy, overwhelmed parent. Or maybe you’re a student. Maybe you’re a single, young professional, or maybe you’re newly retired. Or maybe you’re a priest, or a religious sister or brother. You might be garnishing a high salary every year. Or you might be in the hardest financial circumstance you’ve ever faced. Or you might’ve taken a vow of poverty. Or you’re living mostly comfortably… but things are tight and the economy’s rough.
Regardless of your state in life, it’s possible to practically apply the concept of beauty to your own life, within your own unique circumstances. After all, God is Beauty and the source of beauty, and we are made in His image and likeness. We reflect Beauty. So please, by all means, keep in mind your state in life as you continue reading, but please don’t think that you’re excluded from exploring and adding beauty to your life in practical, tangible ways simply because of your life circumstances. You do not need an exorbitant budget for a partial or even full life makeover. Honestly, you don’t need any money at all to implement some of these suggestions. I promise!
Five ideas & suggestions for living a more beautiful life
Now that we’re keeping our states-in-life in mind, I would like to propose five ideas for exploring beauty and learning how to apply it in your own personal life. Bear in mind that these are general ideas and not strict principles (with the exception of the first two, which are cornerstones of the Christian life), and any suggestions are simply that: suggestions. There are likely more things I could add to this list, but for the sake of keeping this blog post at a manageable length, I’m sticking to five for today!
Spend time with Jesus, especially in the Eucharist.
If God is true Beauty, and Jesus is truly God, then what better way to discover beauty and bring more beauty into your life than spending time with Beauty Himself? If you don’t already pray on a daily basis, I highly encourage you to begin. It doesn’t need to be complicated. Prayer is communicating with God, and when we pray, we grow in relationship with the One Who made us.
Prayer can look different depending on your season of life, too. Here are some vignettes from my own life as an example!
When I was in college, I used to pray decades of the rosary on my way to classes.
This translated to praying full rosaries on my commute to grad school, and I used to spend a lot of time in Eucharistic adoration because my schedule allowed for it.
After grad school, I found a lot of peace in beginning my days by reading Scripture.
And now that I’m pregnant, none of my old prayer routines have worked for me! Instead, what I’ve found is that talking (i.e. venting) to God has been what’s kept me most connected with God, as well as listening to praise and worship music.
Explore the many different ways to pray and see what works for you! If you can, though, I would recommend trying to spend some time in front of the Eucharist outside of Sunday Mass, at least on a weekly basis. You might not be in a season of life where that’s possible, and that’s okay. There’s no shame in that. But if you’re able to, it’s worth it.
In the Eucharist, we experience the Real Presence of Jesus, physically present under the appearance of the host. We get to be in front of Beauty Himself; and when we receive the Eucharist, we receive true Beauty into our own selves. Beauty, as a principle, has the potential to transform whenever we encounter it because of its very nature. And out of all the beauty we could experience in this world, the Eucharist – truly being Jesus – has the most potential to transform us.
Seek to become more like Christ.
If we truly believe that Jesus is God, and we believe that God is the source of Beauty and Beauty Himself, then we must seek to become more like Him. We are made in the Image and Likeness of God, but we also must not forget that original sin clouds that reflection in the way that condensation or grime clouds a mirror. By seeking to become more like Christ, we allow Him to slowly cleanse our reflection and make us more and more beautiful. We become more beautiful because we are becoming more and more like Him.
And how do we become more like Christ? We must observe the example He’s left us in the gospels. We must adopt His compassion, the way He meets others where they are at before calling them higher, the manner in which He treats every person with dignity and respect. We must listen to His words and the teachings He has given us, such as those in the Sermon on the Mount, and ask Him every day for the graces to live these out in our daily lives. And above all, it is critical to imitate His humility. The practice of humility allows space for the beauty, truth, and goodness of God to be sown, take root, and flourish.
What better way to create a beautiful life than to seek to imitate the One Who is Beauty in all areas of our lives?
Explore your own personal style.
If virtues adorn the soul, then clothes adorn the body. It’s terribly easy to fall into the trap of thinking our bodies are less than our souls. There is, of course, the importance of staying rooted in reality and recognizing that our earthly bodies will pass away while our souls will pass into eternity. We can only do so much for our bodies here on earth. It’s also very important to recognize and understand that the virtues we seek to cultivate for our souls will have an impact on our bodies. And let’s not forget that we will get our bodies back at the end of time!
A note on personal style in regards with religious life/the priesthood: as I said above, the clothes we wear send a message, and when it comes to the habits worn in religious life, or the vestments that a priest wears, this same principle applies here.
If you are not in religious life or the priesthood, however, you have choices in what you wear – and what you choose sends a message! I would like to say, though: if this thought is exhausting to you for whatever reason, please don’t stress over this. I personally flip-flop between being excited about curating a closet that reflects who I am as a person and wanting to exist solely in sweatpants and a t-shirt (which I fully recognize has the potential to send a variety of messages, from being tired or sick to not caring about my appearance – and when I’m in sweatpants and a t-shirt, which is more often than not, I absolutely fall into one of those camps). As I said above, these suggestions are just that – suggestions!
With that being said, I do think that reflecting on personal style can be helpful in learning more about yourself, and I don’t mean that in a generic way. It has the potential to bring up questions about ourselves that can have unexpectedly deep answers. Why do I dress the way I do? is a question that can bring stuff up – and it’s not always the pleasant kind of stuff. Please be gentle with yourself with any unexpected or painful stuff that might come up.
On a brighter note, reflecting on what you want to communicate through what you wear can be a useful tool in learning the qualities about yourself as a person that you want to convey to others. What are your strengths? What is your temperament? What are your characteristics and traits? What makes you you? If you aren’t sure what the answers are to any of these, I recommend a couple of things. First, take this question to prayer and ask God to show you what your strengths and good characteristics are. He made you! He knows you better than you can ever know yourself. I also recommend asking a trusted friend or family member. Sometimes God speaks to us directly, and sometimes He speaks through others.
As a word of caution: if you embark on a journey of developing your personal style, you may find a desire to completely redo your entire wardrobe at once. I’m going to be honest and say that this is probably not feasible for your budget, and it’s definitely not sustainable for development. Patience and prudence are wildly important and highly necessary in creating a wardrobe that reflects you as a person. St. Andre Bessette once said, “It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures.” I encourage you to take his words to heart!
For further reading, I recommend checking out the book Theology of Style by Lillian Fallon. I also really enjoy these instagram accounts: @litany.nyc (you can find their website here) and @liturgicalstyle.
Develop your home decor style.
What is the purpose of a home?
This question is for you, whether your home is Instagram swoon-worthy or a shoebox apartment. Where you reside is your home. What do you see as the purpose of it?
If we look to the prevailing wisdom of many saints and wise people who’ve gone before us, a theme emerges of a home being a refuge from the outside world. I would venture to say that viewing home as refuge is very important in today’s chaotic and often unstable world. Another theme that often emerges is that of a home as a place of human development. Our homes see our growth (or lack thereof) as people. Because we are physical beings as well as spiritual, our physical environment can play a role in our growth and development as people.
So, with the ideas of “refuge” and “human development” in our minds, let’s continue onto some of the practicals.
First, a word on trends: if minimalist in neutral colors is your thing (which seems to have been “in” for a bit now, if I’m not mistaken), by all means go for it. But just because that’s what half your Instagram feed seems to reflect does not mean you need to follow the trends! I, for one, am a huge fan of French countryside inspired home decor, and my husband also happens to really love that vibe, so you can guess what we’re slowly working towards in our own home. And I think it honestly reflects both of us as people, as well as the two of us as a couple. We’re bookworms, with a love for cooking and intellectual conversation, an appreciation for simple elegance and simple living, and a desire to make our home feel warm and, well, homey. I’m not at all surprised that we tend to gravitate towards this particular aesthetic in our home decor tastes. But French countryside might not be for you. Or minimalist neutral. Or “modern Victorian” (I would love for someone to explain that one to me?), or whatever the next six trends might be.
The important question to ask is this: what do you want your home to convey? Do you have a natural gift for hospitality and want to convey that? Take that into account the next time you look your home over and decide it’s time to rearrange! Is your life in a busy season and you need your home to be a refuge? Simplifying the systems in your home might be the key to saving some time and enjoying your home more. Is there anything important to you that aren’t present in your home, such as religious art or a dedicated space for a particular hobby? Invite the Holy Spirit in and get creative!
Regardless of what you might desire to convey, you might find something’s lacking in your home. Or you might even find that your home doesn’t convey anything you want it to convey and find yourself with the very strong desire to completely redo everything even though your budget absolutely does not allow for it. Please don’t fall into the mindset trap that you need to completely redecorate your home immediately. This is a legitimate trap from the devil that will lead you straight into comparison, unease, and discontent. Rather, invite God into the process and ask Him to help. His timeline is usually a lot slower than we’d like, but it’s always worth it. That weird space in your front entryway that you have no idea what to do with? He might have a piece of artwork or a unique mirror He wants to show you, but it won’t be available or you won’t be able to stumble across it for several months yet. To hit on a point from #3 above – patience is a virtue, and so is prudence. Both of these are extraordinarily helpful in making a living space into your home.
Create a general rhythm of life that allows for order and surprise.
If you’re a religious sister or brother, you’re already following a rule of life, and you might be realizing that your rule of life does, indeed, allow for order and surprise already! But for most of us, a rhythm of life is not necessarily something that we might be even conscious of, especially if we’re just going through the motions for one reason or another.
If you’ve ever heard of the Type A and Type B personality types, I find these to be helpful in this discussion because one type is more drawn to order, while the other type is more drawn to surprise. There’s a lot in life that exists on a spectrum, and these personality types are one example of this. Think of Type A on one side and Type B on the other. There’s plenty of room in the middle, so you might find that you “lean Type A” or “lean Type B” without being fully one or the other.
These types can change with life, too. Personally, I certainly fall into the Type B camp at this stage of my life, but that wasn’t always the case. Back in college, I was much more Type A, to the point where I used to schedule out my flute practice sessions to an unfathomable level of timed organization: twenty minutes of this exercise, eight minutes of that exercise, five minutes of stretching, thirty minutes of scales, and so forth. I stumbled across those practice schedules a couple years ago and promptly threw them in the trash.
So with all that being said, the basic principle I want to propose here is this:
If you tend towards having a Type A personality – driven, hardworking, and organized – remember to unclench your fists. Your tendency towards order is a good thing, but it can come with some drawbacks. Your schedule should not be an idol, but you may find with some reflection that it already is. Take it to God and let Him root it out!
If you tend towards having a Type B personality – laidback, flexible, and casual – remember that having some order to your days is a good thing. You probably have a tendency towards surprise (spontaneity, loosely-held plans, etc) and this, too, is a good thing, but it can also come with some drawbacks. Be careful to not let the ideal of an open schedule become an idol in your life. Having even a small amount of order in your life can help you become a saint.
It’s worth noting that neurodivergent diagnoses of Autism, ADHD, and so forth have their own tendencies to various things, and the general sorting of Type A and Type B personalities may not apply – and that’s okay! While I have personal life experience with some of these diagnoses, I’m not versed enough to speak on it thoroughly when it comes to this topic, so I’ll refrain from anything more than my own disclaimer.
I encourage you to take a look at your current life and ask yourself this question: “Does my life tend more towards order or does it tend more towards surprise?” If one outweighs the other, it might be time to see about incorporating the one that’s a bit left out. Again, to reiterate the theme running through all these points, it might look one way or another depending on your particular circumstances in life. Just keep in mind that virtue is found as the mean between two extremes, and to become virtuous is a key goal in the Christian life.
What is the goal of living a beautiful life?
This is the final question I want to leave you with. Ultimately, the answer comes down to our understanding of beauty. If we see God as Beauty, then the whole goal of living a beautiful life is to do three things:
Grow in holiness.
Develop/deepen your relationship with God.
Become the person God made you to be.
And these three things themselves have a goal: to spend eternity with God in Heaven.
That’s it. That’s the goal of living a beautiful life. It’s not to be the most aesthetically pleasing person in the entire world. It’s not to have the most social-media-worthy home. It’s not to have a skincare or fitness routine that keeps you looking as young as possible. It’s not to present an image of perfection to the world, because that is an impossible burden to place upon ourselves. It’s to spend eternity with God in Heaven.
And that, my friend, is the best goal that any of us could ever have.
Here’s to living a beautiful life for Christ. May we all fulfill our God-given destiny of spending eternity with Him Who loves us and Who is Love.
