Beauty – wayne centrone

I’m a big fan of the late Irish poet and philosopher John O’Donohue.

O’Donohue writes with such depth and clarity that his work is timeless. I recently read some of his poems, and I found his work critical to understanding the current world challenges.

The essence of life is beauty. It is not the type of beauty that can only be found in culture or aesthetics, but the beauty found in depth. A deep understanding of complexity transforms this type of beauty. O’Donohue says, “If our style of looking become[s] beautiful, then beauty will become visible and shine forth for us.” This statement resonates strongly inside of me. I feel so fortunate to be regularly called into communion with so much beauty. I am blessed to be enriched by the profound beauty of a 30+ year marriage and the immeasurable power of a healthy and happy child – but more than that, I am enriched through the beauty of our work.

There is nothing easy about the work we do with HBI. So much of what we do is about continuously showing up in the lives of others. It is about commitment and connection. This is true beauty.

“May the nourishment of the earth be yours,

may the clarity of light be yours,

may the fluency of the ocean be yours,

may the protection of the ancestors be yours.”

— John O’Donohue.