Beauty or Blah?

So, here’s the thing: if beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then so is blah. I know, right? Profound stuff. I figured this out after years of wondering why things I thought were stunning suddenly looked like they'd been hit with an ugly stick.

Case in point: my experience with a Porsche Panamera. The first time I saw its sleek lines and flashy wheels, I was in love. So, I bought it. I drove it home, parked it in the driveway, and stepped back to admire my new baby. And then... it hit me. This thing looked like an old man's car. Did it age a decade on the drive home? Within a year, I sold it.

What happened?

Fast forward a few months, I'm driving down the highway and see the same model, same wheels. Bam! Gorgeous again. What gives? The car hadn’t changed. I had. Cue the lightbulb moment: if beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then so is blah.

And let me tell you, this wasn’t a one-time thing. I've felt this way about places, objects, and yes, even people. The enchantment fades, replaced by a sense of "blah." It took me longer than I'd like to admit, but I finally realized the issue was within me, not the things I was observing. When something beautiful turns blah, it's like looking in a mirror—a mirror reflecting my own inner finiteness. It’s a reminder that nothing outside of myself will ever be completely satisfying. Realizing this, I started to own my perceptions and question what was really going on inside my head.

Remember Joseph Campbell? The guy who inspired George Lucas to write Star Wars. He said, "All the gods, all the heavens, and all the hells are within us." And you know what? He was right. Our perceptions shape our reality. If you find yourself going from feeling connected to disconnected from beauty, it's likely because something inside you has shifted.

Take relationships. The honeymoon phase? All sunshine and rainbows. But then, you start noticing flaws and quirks. Is your partner changing? Probably not that fast. It’s your perspective that’s evolving. Same thing with your job. That dream gig can feel like a grind if your inner desires shift.

These truths are a reminder that our external world mirrors our internal state. Once you get that, you can start to control your perceptions. Instead of blaming the world for your dissatisfaction, maybe look inward and figure out what’s really bugging you.

So, as we bumble through life, let's remember that the beauty and blah we see are just reflections of our own messy, wonderful minds. Acknowledge this, and you might just create a more harmonious inner world, making the outer one look a whole lot less blah.