In philosophy last week we split in to groups of three to discus different meanings of life. My group talked about living life as if you were a work of art. Being aesthetically pleasing and molding yourself, through experience, in to something beautiful.

One group member said one problem with this idea is that in art you can fix your mistakes and in life you rarely can. I’m not so sure though. I think in both art and life you can always make things better somehow, but what you’ve already done will leave its mark. The past might be hidden under layers of paint or banished to a forgotten closet of memories, but it has still had a hand in shaping you, in your learning and experience, and in that way it is never really gone.

We also talked about an operational definition of beauty, because living life beautifully can be taken many ways. Does it mean physically beauty, perfecting your body, your form, physical skills? Or does it mean virtuous beauty, pure of heart and spirit, good intentions, a lack of sin? Or something else entirely? A combination? Something different for every individual? We decided we believed it was close to that last option. Beauty is found in many forms, and in many places. Beauty is something thats true for an individual person, something they feel passionate towards. Beauty is becoming the best person you can, not the best person someone else thinks you should be, but the version of you your heart guides you to. Beauty is living without regret, but courage and meaning.