Have you ever looked at something and felt a tiny spark of confusion right alongside your admiration? Francis Bacon once said that there is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion. To me, this means that true, breathtaking beauty rarely comes from perfect symmetry or predictable patterns. Instead, it is often that little bit of quirk, that slight asymmetry, or that unexpected twist that makes something truly unforgettable. Perfection can be sterile, but strangeness adds the soul that allows us to truly connect with what we see.

We see this all the time in our everyday lives, often without even realizing it. We tend to chase the idea of a 'perfect' life or a 'perfect' appearance, thinking that if everything were aligned and balanced, we would finally find peace. But if you look closely at the things you truly love, you will find their beauty lies in their imperfections. It is the crooked smile of a loved one, the weathered texture of an old book, or the way a garden grows wildly instead of in neat rows. These 'strange' proportions are what give life its character and depth.

I remember a time when I was feeling quite down because I felt like I didn't fit the 'standard' mold of what a happy, productive person should look like. I was looking at everyone else's polished social media feeds and feeling so plain and out of proportion. But then, I spent an afternoon sitting by a small, messy pond. I watched a group of ducks—my favorite little friends—splashing around. One duck had a slightly wonky feather and a very peculiar, loud honk that broke the silence of the morning. At first, it seemed out of place, but as I watched, that very quirk made the whole scene feel alive and magical. It wasn't a perfect scene, but it was a beautiful one because it was real.

When we embrace the strangeness in ourselves and the world around us, we stop fighting against reality and start appreciating the masterpiece that is existence. The parts of you that feel 'off' or 'unusual' are often the very parts that hold your greatest light. They are the textures that make your story worth telling.

Today, I want to encourage you to look around your immediate surroundings and find one thing that is imperfect or slightly strange, and try to see the excellence within it. Perhaps it is a scar, a messy desk, or a crooked tree. Let yourself fall in love with the beautiful irregularities of your world.