Always searching for beautiful in the most unlikely places, we offer you the opportunity to see beautiful in a machete. Here's how we're slicing it:

Setting: A See Beautifuler walks into a sporting goods store and approaches a sales rep to help her locate an anniversary present for her partner. 

See Beautifuler: Yes, I was hoping you could tell me if you have a specific item in stock.

Sales Rep: Okay, sweetheart, what are you looking for?

See Beautifuler (cringing at the sweetheart-dubbed name she's been given): I need to know if you have a machete in stock. Preferably the Bear Grylls extra large machete with the leather holding case that adheres to one's back.

Sales Rep (color draining from his face): Um. Well, you don't, um, look like you're the type who'd be in here buying a, um, machete.

See Beautifuler (now having the time of her life): Yes. I'm an avid machete-ist and I'm expanding my collection. If you could just point me toward your machete's I'll be on my way.

Sales Rep (backing away from "sweetheart"): Um, well, yes. We have those in the hunting department. Um, it's, um, upstairs, um...

See Beautifuler (beaming): Thanks, I'll just head in that direction.

Sweetheart and Man-Scared-of-Sweetheart part ways. 

See Beautifuler buys machete, but hasn't decided whether to share it with her husband or wear it herself everywhere she goes. Any thoughts?

The following video was featured on viewchange.org, a non-profit that highlights stories of hope and progress. In this video, Bharati Phaked Date, a 14-year-old girl, explains how a bike is her gateway to making change in the world.


To watch the short Pedal=Sight Video click here.


For many people around the world, a bicycle is a toy or vehicle to take you from one place to another. For the ultimate protagonist of her own world-changing story, Bharati's bike represents her ability to change the world. Those two wheels represent hope, empowerment, and change and they carry the mind and heart of a girl committed to seeing beautiful.


Even if you don't have time to watch the video, the message sent is loud and clear. Next time you peel out of your home on your trusty bicycle perhaps you'll think about change and hope and empower and smile because you're balancing on an object that is bringing change into our world.

Fancy statistical equation modeling found today, June 17th, to be the happiest day of the year. Whew-whoo! Do you feel happy? We feel happy! And, we think it's a brilliant reason to see beautiful!

Dr. Cliff Arnall, psychologist and life coach from the UK identified today as the happiest day of the year (and who are we to argue with something like that? We'd never deny a happy day in the life of anyone). Arnall has been quoted saying:

“The third Friday in June came out with the highest rating due to peaking happiness factors such as warm summer evenings outdoors, seeing friends more frequently, and excitement about holidays...People shouldn’t be asking ‘How much do I earn?’ but ‘How happy am I?’ The best piece of advice I can give is work less and spend more time with people you love. That will make you happiest.”

We think a question to throw into the mix might be, "How do I see beautiful within and around me?" 

Some ways to do that today:
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Well, it's the happiest day of the year so you can (1) share that fun finding with others; (2) look for ways this is the happiest day of the year; (3) make this the happiest day of the year for others; and (4) cheers to the happiest day of the year with friends and family!

One lone dog bowl, thoughtfully placed next to the sidewalk, was there to rejuvenate and it offered an opportunity to see beautiful. Providing water for passer-by dogs wasn't expected. In fact, it was the fact that the dog bowl was absent from other driveways that made it such a striking act of thoughtfulness. What's even more beautiful? When walking through the neighborhood on the equally-hot-next day, the dog bowl was there again, and this time, there was ice in the bowl. That's right, ice! The dog bowl with water was one thing, the ice, well that kindness is just beautiful! Someone wanted to make sure it was just the right temperature for our puppy companions who aimlessly try to please us in this world.

What if you did something unexpectedly nice today, for animals or humans? What if you set out a dog bowl (water or ice-filled)? Held open an elevator? Bought the person's lunch behind you in the drive through? Helped someone carry his/her groceries to the car? This list is endless. The opportunities are beautiful. There's beauty in the unexpected. Who knew an ice-filled dog bowl could help one see it and then inspire? Wow, it did.

The organization, We Give Books, is changing the way we think about reading children's literature. If you read books with children (or know someone who reads to children), you're in a position to donate a book to the charity of your choice for every book you read. Here's what you do:

1. Visit www.wegivebooks.org/
2. Choose a book from their FREE digital library of children's books OR choose a campaign to support.
3. Read the book online!
4. Read it over and over again, or pick a new one, enjoying the comfort of knowing that every time you read that book or a new book, one will be donated to the charity you designate.
5. See beautiful in the fact that you'll be part of the movement to donate hundreds of thousands of children's books to non-profit organizations around the world!

If you teach, you can use this site everyday in your classroom. If you're a parent of a child under 10 years of age and reading this blog, you have the opportunity to read a book on your computer, smartphone, or iPad with your child. If you need to deviate from the world of adult reading and want something to read with less than 20 pages, you can read knowing you're donating a tangible book to a non-profit organization.
There is research that supports the more books in a child's home, regardless of his/her parents' education, occupation, and class, influences his/her academic success (Evans, Keley, Sikora, & Treiman, 2010; Light & Pillemer, 1984). Children with more than 300 books in their home receive an average of three years more schooling than children from bookless homes. Further, this finding holds equal across nations (Evans et al., 2010). Thus, We Give Books can bring hundreds of books into a household, school, or childcare center at the click of a button.
Feel free to share this opportunity to see beautiful with any children's book reader or lover you know!

References:
Evans, M.D.R., Keley, J., Sikora, J., & Treiman, D. (2010). Family scholarly culture and
educational success: Books and schooling in 27 nations. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, 28(2), 171-197.
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Light, R. J., & Pillemer, D. B. (1984). Summing up: The science of reviewing research. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.