The Transformative Virtue of Admiration

In a world often caught in the web of judgment and critique, the simple act of admiration becomes a holy practice. When we pause to notice the beauty in others, in nature, in the small moments of grace that unfold in our day, something within us shifts. Admiration softens the inner critic and expands our capacity to love.

To admire is not to idolize it is to bear witness. It is to acknowledge the spark of the Divine in

someone else or in something around us and, by doing so, to awaken to that same light within

ourselves.

Ernest Holmes wrote:

"We should feel the warmth and color of spring in our souls, and understand that life is forever taking form in the new, the fresh, and the possible."

—Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind

Admiration opens us to what is possible in ourselves and in one another. Instead of seeing lack, we begin to see life blossoming. We begin to see strength where we once saw struggle. We begin to hold reverence for the journey instead of criticism for the pace.

When we admire, we return to innocence. We allow beauty to shape us. We trade comparison for celebration. And as we make this a practice, we create an environment where people feel safe to grow, flourish, and shine.

This week, let us lean into admiration.

• Admire someone's kindness.

• Admire a child's curiosity.

• Admire the sky.

• Admire your own resilience.

Let admiration become your prayer.

Let it lift your thoughts above what is broken and help you see what is becoming.