Our minds have a way of focusing on what is wrong, what is missing, or what could go badly. But when we begin to look intentionally for beauty, we often discover it has been around us all along.

Do you ever feel like you are surrounded by negativity? Do the people around you seem to focus more on what could go wrong or the bad things in life? Perhaps you sometimes fall into that habit yourself. I know that I used to fall into the trap of constant negative thinking, and sometimes I still do. But I have found that like a plant that is watered, the more we look for the good, the more we begin to see it.

When you go out into the world and intentionally seek beauty in nature, in people, and in the small things around you, you start to notice it everywhere. There is truly no shortage of beauty, even in places where you might least expect it. I would like to share a few ways to break the cycle of negative thinking, or at least some things that have helped me.

Let’s use our homes as an example. Most of us live in homes that at least shelter us from the cold and meet our basic needs. Yet we often focus on what we do not have rather than what we do have. Our minds easily drift toward the picture perfect images of homes we see online. These homes have no signs of real life. There are no tiny fingerprints on the trim, no toys scattered on the floor, and every bedspread looks perfectly arranged.

But those images are not reality. They are just a small glimpse of someone’s life, a carefully chosen corner. The comparison trap will always keep us focused on what we dislike or what we feel is missing.

Instead, we can learn to notice the beauty already present in our homes. No matter your situation, there are small ways to make your home a place you enjoy without it being perfect. A thrift store painting placed somewhere special can bring joy every time you walk past it. A simple bouquet of wildflowers picked for free can brighten a room. A neatly made bed can feel peaceful without expensive linens or a pile of decorative pillows.

I love beautiful homes too, but that level of perfection is simply not attainable for many people. The goal is not to deprive yourself of the things you love, but to find ways to include beauty in your life no matter your circumstances.

Beauty can also be found in people. Often we view those closest to us more critically because we spend so much time with them. Their faults become more noticeable. But when we shift our focus and look intentionally for their good qualities, those traits begin to stand out more clearly. The more we look for the good in people, the more we see it. And nearly everyone has something good within them.

Beauty can be found in everyday moments as well, even on gray days. I remember noticing chickadees still singing on a cold and gloomy winter day. Even in the middle of winter, the conifers still hold their deep green color.

I also remember when I had my last baby and was resting in bed while I recovered. It was spring, my favorite season, and the weather outside was beautiful. At first I felt disappointed that I could not be outside enjoying the sunshine and the new life of spring.

But then I shifted my focus.

Right in front of my bed was a window that looked out onto a row of trees that were always full of birds. The buds on the branches were bright green. I watched birds flying back and forth, likely building nests or feeding their babies. I noticed the shadows moving across the trees throughout the day.

That simple view brought me so much happiness. With the window cracked open, fresh spring air and the sound of birds filled the room. I even drew a picture of the view and wrote about how I felt in that moment. Sometimes I look back on that memory and remember how joyful it felt to simply sit and watch the world outside that window.

Even in a city, as poets often describe, you might notice a cheerful yellow dandelion pushing its way through a crack in the sidewalk.

I will end by saying that winter can often be the hardest season of the year. Yet it teaches us something important. We can choose to look for ways to enjoy the season despite its challenges, or we can allow negative feelings to take over and pull us down and be defeated by a challenging season.

Every day we are given the choice to look for beauty. And when we do, we begin to see that it has been there all along.