The eye of the beholder

Nearly everyone has heard that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but isn't everything in the eye of the beholder?

Given only an image, or a scent, an act, or a sound, isn't it up to us to decide what it is we see, or smell, hear, or feel?

The censor of our thoughts -- our past, our fears, our wants -- form the reality for each of us in the moment and . . .

It can stop right there. A gut reaction to an experience, or . . .

It can become a doorway into who we are, a learning experience that allows us to grow, to step beyond the confines of our infant selves, our pre-made, unthinking cells, and into a broader consciousness less encumbered by biases, prejudices, and simple reactionary existence.

Once the beholder becomes driven by the desire for truth, the eye becomes more discerning and beauty is burnished by a multitude of facets.