In the past year, we’ve seen a lot of ugly in this world. There have been terrorist attacks, violent protests, and mass shootings. The news is flooded with politicians trying to bring out the worst in their opponents. Billboards are plastered with models making you believe that you need to be skinnier, taller, and more contoured in order to be beautiful. It’s so easy to succumb to all of this negativity, and sometimes seems about impossible to pick out the good, but it’s not. Beauty is out there; you just need to look for it.

First, seek beauty in the world and the events going on in it. The news seems to have an unhealthy habit of exposing the bad rather than the good, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t good things happening out there. For example, two comedians took a hundred kids from the Brazilian slums to the Olympics, and a man in New York City raised over $6,000 for homeless people by playing his guitar. There are good people like this all over, so focus on them. They’re the ones that deserve the attention, not the gangs and crooked politicians.

Seek beauty in the physical world, as well. Look at the sky and the grass, the oceans and the beaches. When you’re shuffling off to class in the dead of the winter, pay attention to how beautiful the piercing blue sky is. God created this magnificent world for us; so find joy in the simple things, like the sunsets He paints across the sky and the flowers that dot our paths.

Next, seek beauty in yourself. Sure, your face may have broken out this morning or you might have gotten a D on an important exam, but that’s not what other people are going to see. They’re going to notice your warm smile and loving heart, or how pretty your eyes are, so let yourself see these qualities too. Doing so doesn’t make you conceited; you’re simply allowing yourself to feel good and be confident in yourself.

Lastly, seek beauty in others. This is perhaps the most difficult one. John 15:12 tells us, “This is my commandment: Love others the same way I have loved you”, and this is exactly what you should do. Look for the good in people, not the bad, and love them despite their mistakes. Instead of paying attention to how the girl who sits next to you in class has an annoying habit of smacking her gum loudly, notice how she makes a point of holding the door for everyone on the way out. Or instead of being mad at your friend for blowing you off to hang out with her boyfriend, remember the time that she made herself late to class so that she could bring you soup when you weren’t feeling well. It is so much more rewarding to love someone than to be angry or hateful towards them.

So today I challenge both you and myself to seek beauty in life. As this new school year is starting, take time to focus on the good that’s all around you. Don’t let that one bad event, or characteristic, or person get you down. Instead, think of all the beautiful things that life has to offer.