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Withholding Magnificence

12/14/2015

2 Comments

 
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Borghese Gallery
PictureAzzedine Alaia’s couture gown
Magnificence is a rarely used word.  Reserved for bigger than life. A display of greatness, or rather grandness, that doesn’t really fit in daily life.

Unless you travel to Rome; a city of magnificence.  I recently spent time there. The pure talent of Renaissance art and sculpture that took years, sometimes hundreds of years to complete, mixed with brilliant ancient Roman architecture that still stands, layered with modern day carefully crafted cuisine and design . . . I was in awe.  Each corner I turned had a small tucked away church that within, exploded with fine details.

I happened to grab one of the last days of an incredible exhibit of Azzedine Alaia’s couture gowns in the Borghese Gallery. My eyes didn’t know where to land between the carved talent of Bernini’s sculptures, the layers of gilded art covering every inch of the walls and ceilings, and the surprising creative design of Alaia's gowns in the foreground. One dress even incorporated the hide of an alligator. The stunning gowns acted like the coffee beans you sniff in between sips at wine tastings, when your senses become numb from too much consumption.

It’s hard to come home after a trip like this.  My house sure isn't the Sistine Chapel.  I can however gaze out of my bedroom window and see a nightly barrage of stunning sunsets that happen this time of year. Nature is a beautiful reminder that there is an innate quality to magnificence. That it may be more accessible than we think.  That it comes in all shapes and sizes.

I recently attended a conference on Well-being and Mindfulness at Work. 
Dr.Jeremy Hunter from the Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management spoke about the Japanese culture, having so little, that they developed highly attuned attention to detail and created beauty within their simple lives. Think about the transformation of a piece of paper into origami.

I am starting to realize that magnificence can be small.  I don’t need to reserve the word for grandeur, but planting the seeds of magnificence requires my attention and a time commitment that I’m often not willing to give. So, I withhold.  I don’t allow myself enough of a horizon for the projects, ideas, or new layers of me that hold the most creative energy.  

Magnificence is about creation.  Not the mass produced, just-in-time kind of creation of our modern society. Magnificence requires a slower pace: the pace of the artisans who said yes to hand painting detailed frescoes on ceilings. The 
Maker Movement is re-establishing slow, where tinkering has a formal role and where taking the time to Do It Yourself is valued.  

I was listening to the tail end of an NPR interview of a masterful musician (I wish I caught his name).  He was asked if he had any advice to share with aspiring musicians.  I loved his final words, “Be patient. The world is on God’s time, not yours.” 


Magnificence is waiting in the wings. It is waiting for you to attune your focus . . . to rework, to relayer, to come back to the drawing board time and time again. And to know that you are not behind.  You are magnificence in the making.

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Aging ~ Seeing Your Reflection

4/21/2012

1 Comment

 
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Last night my sister and I talked over dinner about how it is becoming harder to look in the mirror.  It is an exercise I try to do with compassion, but often wish for a dimmer switch.

On my way home, I drove past Victoria Secret in Union Square and had three bigger-than-life images, blond, all-American, dimple clad, full lipped, cleavage baring beauties staring me squarely in the eyes.  For the first time, I looked at these industry standards of beauty and realized they were closer to my daughter's age than mine.

It put me into a slight tail spin of panic . . . sadness . . . depression.  And then there was the invitation.

How am I going to embrace beauty in this next chapter of life?  

We obviously need to redefine beauty as we age.  And embrace it.  Maybe for the first time.  

Our reflection has been a constant companion from the time we learned how to curl our hair to covering our roots.  It’s an exercise of seeing our beauty between our blemishes, finding our unique stamp of feminine, and receiving each new line as a gift of life lived.

As much as I want to refocus my lens, I really want to invite in a new reflection of beauty.  It can best be seen from our connection with ourselves and the world, rather than from our mirror.

It's an exercise that would serve my daughters as much as myself.

How does your beauty come to the surface?  Through your laughter perhaps?  Your love?  Your strong sense of self?  Your passion?  Your ability to help others feel their own?

I invite you to see your beauty touching the world around you. It’s a powerful reflection.  

As you grow in your awareness of your own beauty, hold up a mirror to help others catch a glimpse of their own.
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When Do You Feel Beautiful?

2/14/2012

0 Comments

 
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Recently I was asked the question, “What makes a woman beautiful?”  Isn’t that a wonderful question?

I immediately smiled and started to mentally gather all the beautiful women in my life.  As my collage grew, I struggled to whittle down the bounty of amazing qualities I saw into a single answer.  In the end, I did find one common trait.

For me, a woman’s beauty grows as she discovers what in life makes her feel most alive and then carves out time in her life to nurture that part of herself.

You feel her energy.  It draws you to her.  Being in her company inspires you to work a little more at your own fulfillment.

Whether it be growing your career, growing your spirit, growing your intellect, growing your children, or growing your garden . . . maybe it’s feeling strong in your body, helping others, creating something new . . .  It doesn’t matter what makes you feel most alive. It may change over time or have many layers.

It’s about holding that part of you sacred, sharing it openly, and encouraging it in others.

For me, Beauty isn’t a quality.  Beauty is a state of being.  It’s an energy that feeds you and feeds others in your company.  It’s a strength in knowing yourself.  It’s a vulnerability in sharing that piece of you with others.  It’s a gentleness in supporting others in their journey.

So tell me Beautiful, what makes you come alive?  I would love to know!

Happy Fill Your Heart Day,
Amy

PS. This Valentine's Day is a perfect time to acknowledge the beautiful women in your life.
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    Amy Tirion
    About Me
    Advocate for Stillness, Seeker of Inspiration, Playful Mom, Lover of Creativity, Still Learning, Believer in Women,  Founder of Delight for the Soul

    Check Out My New Book Knowing Beautiful:
    A New Bedtime Story for Women

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    Becoming
    This blog is an invitation to stop.  Breathe.  And tap into the part of you that craves more space, inspiration, and nurturing.  It captures the writings from my Delight for the Soul Newsletter.  They are personal moments of reflection, inspiration, and questioning that focus on Being rather than Doing.  It's a direction we are all invited to go in, as we live deeply and do less.  The more we focus on being, the more delighted we become . . . and the more becoming we are.


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