Do we need beauty in life? I always thought that New York City was not a particularly beautiful city (character yes, beauty not) compared to perhaps Amsterdam or Paris or a Tuscan village. While beauty is not everything, and some beauty comes from within and lies deep, I do find that beauty enhances my life tremendously. It adds harmony and pleasure to my life. It makes my life more pleasant. I like it when our dinner table is nicely set, it pleases me to have flowers around the house, I love the joy of color (in clothes, in food, in decor, in nature), and I appreciate good design.

We may not need it (in Maslow's hierarchy of needs it would be way at the top of the pyramid in self-actualization), but it sure is nice to have. We can become more aware of its effects on our moods and actively seek beauty out and consciously add it to our life. I am not much of a movie goer, but in the past few years I saw two movies (on a big screen in a theatre, not on Netflix) that were extraordinary eye candy: Kung Fu Panda II and Mirror Mirror, watching pleasure through and through, Kung Fu Panda for its exceptional landscapes and amazing details, Mirror Mirror for its exquisite wardrobes, landscapes, decors and use of color.

Add some color, add some beauty, add some quality to your life!