The Playful Search for Beauty

Day 9 - June 22, 2010

I have always been fascinated by people who have lived more than a century - one hundred years of breathing, thinking and eating!  What choices did they make that kept them healthy, vibrant and alive? Can I duplicate those same decisions with any accuracy?  What is their secret - good genetics or something else?

I am not talking about the Fountain of Youth, that magical, mysterious spot on earth where only a privileged few can drink the elixer of eternity.  No, what I have always found compelling are those ordinary people who live extraordinary lives, moment after moment, and who wake up one day to realize, "I am 100 years old!"  Their age comes as a complete surprise because they have lived their lives for another purpose entirely.

One woman who just came to my attention that falls into this category is Eva Zeisel, the famous Hungarian designer and artist.  You can meet Eva in a short video on her website at EvaZeiselOriginals.com  When you hear her speak and watch her work at her design table, you would never guess that she was 93 years old in that video.  Eva is now 103 years old, and she is still designing her art pieces! 

Eva lived through 16 months of imprisonment by Stalin, just because she was an artist.  She was a vagabond, drawn to the artistic centers of the world like a moth to a flame.  But she never compromised on her passion for creating something that was beautiful to look at and to hold.  In each piece of art, she gave a piece of herself.  As one person described Eva's work, "She always had a playful search for beauty."

What does a 103 year old artist's playful search for beauty have to do with you?

Your life is a work of art and you are the sculptor.  The passions, interests and talents that God gave to you are unique and only you can bring them out into the physical world.  Do you know what those passions, interests and talents are?  If not, then begin your search immediately! (to find your passions is the content of an entirely different article).  If you do know, then what are you doing on a daily basis to bring them out for the world to share?

Take a moment and assess your life.  What is holding you back? Is it a dead-end job, an unhappy marriage, excess weight?  Whatever form the limitation has taken in your life, isn't it time to live from a well-spring of inspiration and wonder? What would it be like to devote every minute of your day to a "playful search of beauty?"

Eva's wisdom is worth noting. "The past has no cumulative effect," she says.  "It is there, it is gone. It left memories...but you live in the present moment."


Have you ever heard messages from your past that have influenced your current behavior?  For example, if a friend said something that hurt your feelings, did you immediately hear a distant voice from the past saying that you are "stupid," "an idiot," or "not worthy"?  If you are nodding right now, then you have some inner work to do!  Discovering the past messages that are driving your present behavior is the main key to changing your eating habits and living healthy.  And the start of living in the moment.


Eva Zeisel is a woman who has lived her life in the present moment.  She cautions that "One has to be careful that the present moment is not destroyed by disharmony or unkindness or ugliness.  The present moment is very important." 

The playful search for beauty is accomplished in the present moment.  With each breath, you create your life.  With each thought, you shape your life.  And with each bite of food, you shape your body.

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Living well, beautifully!