I picked up this rock last week when I was back in Colorado. It’s nothing much, really – a bit of brown rock with a streak of amethyst running through it. I found it in a tailing pile from an old mine, and obviously it wasn’t worthwhile to the person who was digging in those hills long ago – the amount of amethyst and the quality of the stone is negligible.

When I picked it up off the ground I wasn’t sure what to expect because I couldn’t see much through the dirt and dust. I brought this, and a few other little rocks, back to Texas with me and I cleaned them up a bit – I soaked them in soapy water, scrubbed them with an old toothbrush, and I picked off the loose bits that would eventually fall off anyway. The amethyst itself is not showroom quality and it’s not going to win some fancy award from the American Gem Trade Association (it’s a thing).

But I kind of like this little piece of rock. I like that it’s imperfect and mis-shaped. I appreciate that it was a little dusty and covered with eons of life. While it might be appreciated by some and disliked by others, at it’s core – underneath the mess – is where its true beauty lies. If one looks past the jagged edges and rough exterior we can see something beautiful that wants to be appreciated.

This little rock is a lot like me, truthfully; and probably a lot like you. Most of us are not polished and cut to exacting precision. And we’re probably a little dusty. As painful as it may be to say it, we’re probably disliked by a few people. But deep within us, I know that we all have beauty that the world needs to see. We all have our own amethyst that resides at our core and is the true essence of who we really are. As rough and jagged as we may appear to those around us, our gems are aching to come out.

We need to recognize the beauty that is in everyone. We need to look at others knowing that there is a gem inside of them. But first we need to find that beauty within ourselves. We must acknowledge that when we came into being we were beautiful; even now, with the dirt, the dust, and the roughness, we are still beautiful. Antoine de Saint-Exupery said, “What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well.” Within our desert lives there is a well; within the desert lives of others there is a well. And we must find it! We must find it within ourselves and within others, and bring out the beauty that is within all of us. My friends, go and scrub some rocks, give them a little attention, and discover the beauty that is abounding in those around you!

much love. sheth.