Recently, I was asked the following question. Describe something that you find beautiful in the world. This is how I described beauty in a world rapidly changing without permission. The perfect question allows me to express the beauty of a sunny day, the calm, quiet, and peace it brings. It’s seeing others reach for their goals, overcome obstacles, and win. It’s a warm smile to a stranger because you never know what people are facing. It’s the memories you have with family and those moments where you think of something or someone, and the smile is instant. It’s knowing who you are and being ok with it. It’s the freedom to dream and know it’s possible. Every day, you wake up with the opportunity to try again. Beauty, in a world that’s rapidly changing without permission, becomes less about symmetry and perfection, and more about resilience, presence, and truth. It is no longer confined to fixed ideals or static definitions; instead, it emerges from the ability to adapt, to remain authentic, and to find grace amid disruption. In such a world, beauty is the silent defiance of the human spirit against the chaos of constant acceleration. It is the quiet dignity of cultures preserving their essence while evolving. It’s the brilliance of minds reimagining tomorrow, not from comfort but uncertainty. Beauty becomes the raw, unpolished moment when a person chooses compassion over convenience, or when creativity blooms in scarcity. Ultimately, in a world where change does not ask for permission, beauty is found not in control, but in coherence when something or someone, however transient, feels wholly true in that fleeting instant. However brief, that truth holds the power to ground us.
Here’s what the psychologist had to say: “Cognitive Flexibility Enhances Emotional Resilience. Psychologists highlight that the ability to adapt your thinking, also known as cognitive flexibility, is crucial to emotional stability and mental well-being. When we shift our perspectives, we reduce rigid thought patterns that lead to anxiety or helplessness. This flexibility allows individuals to reinterpret challenges as opportunities rather than threats.” That makes sense when we say change the way you see a thing. Find the beauty in it, and we know that’s not always easy, but doable.
Here are three key points on shifting your perspective to see beauty in a world that doesn’t give permission. Stay with us while we explore further.
The first key is to Reframe Disruption as Evolution, not destruction. Rather than seeing rapid, uninvited change as loss, begin to view it as transformation. Every fracture in the world’s familiar structure reveals new contours of growth and possibility. What once seemed like chaos becomes the raw material for creativity, reinvention, and deeper understanding. When we shift our view from fear to curiosity, we unlock the capacity to find beauty not in what is controlled, but in what is emerging. Here’s what the psychologist had to say: And I quote, ” Reframing Promotes Psychological Growth, Post-Traumatic Growth perspective change is a critical factor in post-traumatic growth, where individuals find deeper meaning and increased personal strength after adversity. Psychologists encourage seeing upheaval not just as loss, but as a potential catalyst for internal growth, increased empathy, and reevaluated priorities, unquote. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. How are you looking at that situation or the world around you? Is there anything you can pull out of it for your benefit or another?
The next key is to Redefine Autonomy as the Source of Meaning. In a world that does not grant permission, agency must come from within. Beauty arises when individuals choose authenticity over approval, purpose over perfection. This shift in perspective moves us from passive observers to intentional architects of experience. Seeing beauty in defiance of permission means recognizing the inherent value in self-expression, even when the world does not validate it. Here’s what the psychologist had to say: “Optimistic Reappraisal Lowers Stress and improves coping. Through optimistic reappraisal, individuals reinterpret stressors with a focus on potential benefits or learning outcomes. This approach has been shown to decrease cortisol levels and improve coping mechanisms, especially in volatile or uncertain environments. What is optimistic reappraisal, and how do we simplistically accomplish this in five steps?
One Pause & Observe When something stressful happens, stop and name what you’re feeling. This awareness is the first step to reframing.
Two Ask “What Can I Learn or Gain from This?” Even in hardship, ask: Is there a hidden lesson, opportunity, or strength I’m developing?
Three Shift Focus to the Future: Visualize how the situation could help you in the long run. This could include personal growth, stronger relationships, or new opportunities.
Four Practice Gratitude List 1–3 small things you’re still thankful for amid the challenge. This rewires your brain to look for positives.
Is this helpful so far? This is shifting the mindset to think differently. Showing us that we don’t have to wait for things to change to experience the joys of life.
Five and last one: Repeat the Reframe. Use a short mantra like: This may feel challenging, but something good can still come from it. Repetition builds a new thinking habit over time.
Seek patterns of harmony within imbalance. Beauty does not always reside in equilibrium—it often exists in the tension between contrast and contradiction. When we notice moments of connection, meaning, and resilience within fractured systems, we discover that beauty is not the absence of disorder, but the emergence of order through perspective. Harmony is not imposed from outside but cultivated through conscious attention. Here’s what the psychologist had to say: “Perspective-Taking Strengthens Empathy and Collective Resilience Psychologists note that expanding one’s worldview to include other perspectives fosters empathy, collaboration, and a sense of shared humanity, all critical in times of societal upheaval. This broadening of perspective reduces polarization and increases tolerance.”
So, we draw the conclusion to see beauty in a world that does not give permission is to reclaim the power to define meaning on your terms. It is a courageous act of perception, an elevation of awareness that turns noise into nuance, resistance into rhythm, and survival into significance. I like how that sounds; let me say that again. To reclaim the power to define meaning on your terms. It is a courageous act of perception, an elevation of awareness that turns noise into nuance, resistance into rhythm, and survival into significance. That’s a beautiful way of looking at it. In this lens, beauty is not merely observed; it is created, moment by moment, by those willing to see beyond permission into possibility. The psychologists conclude, “across disciplines, agree shifting your perspective is not merely a philosophical exercise, it is a scientifically supported strategy for enhancing resilience, reducing distress, fostering connection, and adapting to a world that refuses to stand still. By learning to see differently, we equip ourselves to live more fully and respond more intelligently to the demands of rapid change.
That’s the power of the mind.
By Faith