It is easy to get lost in the darkness of this world, to forget that lightness begets light. It is easy to see only the tragedies, the horrors, the seemingly escalating violence that ripples with such ferocity around the globe with every mass event of killing, that ever heart breaks as one.

Seek out the beauty.

Seek out the things that soothe your soul and lift your spirits.

To give into the darkness is to let go of hope.

Seek out the beauty.

See it in every flower, in the clear blue sky above, in the cloudy, stormy day nourishing earth with life-giving water.

See it in the face of a child, and the weary eyes of a homeless man panhandling for money.

See it in the gratitude you feel when you wave at the driver behind who let you merge, and in the wave of the driver you made room to merge in front of you.

See the beauty in all, and create beauty in all ways you experience your day.

Do not allow sarcasm, crude jokes and off-colour remarks be the measure of your ripple.

Do not let skepticism, criticism, condemnation and complaints mark your progress through your day.

Let only light, gentle humour, loving laughter, kind acts become your ripple.

Commit to living from the light for this day, and see what a difference it makes in the lightness of your heart, the smiles of those around you.

Seek out the beauty and let your heart shine.