Thinking Beautiful

What a quote! It makes me think about all the things I've ever considered ugly. That old sweater. A failed relationship. Heck, even some of my friend's new hairstyles... Don't tell them that! But are all those things truly and completely ugly? If you're like me, it's likely at one point, you indeed thought they were. When it comes to looking back on past relationships, it's especially likely that things were -- or are -- a complete mess. Your thoughts can't help but focus on all the bad mojo surrounding the memories.

The thing about thoughts is this: When you have one, you instantly stem another. That's just the way our fascinating and mysterious minds work. And that is precisely the reason why many of us often find ourselves falling into an endless thought spiral. Thought Spirals are dangerous, tricky foes that pull us down and cloud our vision. They usually end with frantic phone calls to your best friend, endless hours Googling for answers, and copious amounts of ice cream.

When you think something is ugly, and you write it off as such, you're only allowing your mind to cultivate more ugly thoughts. And Ugly Thought Spirals? Well, those are the worst kind of Thought Spirals.

Taking the time to look past how hurtful, uncool, or ugly something may seem and seeing the joy, effort, and beauty in it instead could completely shift your thoughts to a happier, lovelier place. Changing your established perception is difficult, to be sure, but it's worth the time and brainpower. It may even bring you closer to gaining some insight or healing some wounds. Whenever I fall into an Ugly Thought Spiral, and I'm elbow-deep in a vat of Crazy-For-Cookie-Dough Ice Cream, I remind myself to think of all the beauty instead. I remind myself to appreciate my life for exactly what it is.

Then I continue eating my ice cream.

What? I think we can all agree, ice cream is a most beautiful thing!