“The leaves changed into their most beautiful selves and yet fell to the ground reminding us that no matter how beautiful things are, they need to end to begin end.“

Amidst the chaos of falling leaves, you are as lovely as you can ever be at this very moment. It’s something we often overlook – the beauty we possess in the present. Much like butterflies that don’t see their own wings, we humans often miss our own beauty, both inside and out. Nonetheless, there will always be those who see and admire our beauty, and I hope that among them, we can also include ourselves.

I recently watched a vlog featuring a European vlogger who visited a village called Mustang in Nepal, an exceptionally unique and stunning place inhabited by warm-hearted people. In the vlog, as the vlogger was filming a local resident’s house, he expressed on its beauty and uniqueness. And it looks like he was the only one who saw the beauty of the house, while the person who lived there simply said, ‘Oh, it’s dirty.’ Just like that, we often fail to see the beauty in something until we no longer have it and this also includes our own abilities and selves.

I am not here to tell you how you should be appreciating the beauty of our surrounding, ourselves and our possessions. Even if I were to give you such guidance, you might briefly appreciate it, only to later become absorbed in the everyday routines of life and forget. However, when you truly understand the depth and the awareness underlying the definition of beauty, that’s when it becomes a daily practice to recognize what we have in the present, knowing it may not be here tomorrow.

I mention “Autumn” specifically because during this season, the leaves change to their most vibrant colors before falling. It’s a transition to winter, and without winter, we might not appreciate the trees and their beauty as much. The faith and excitement that springs bring is a reminder that hope is a fundamental reason for our existence. Trees that seem frozen in winter come back to life and thrive, much like human life. We must experience all the seasons to grow.

No matter how beautiful things can be in life, we need to let go of it at some point so it can begin again.