Appreciate the beauty, don't obsess over it though. [*]
The ears and nose are the two features of any face that convey
comparatively little to the outside world but are vital to our ability
to process our surroundings. Thus, the ears and nose serve as a symbol
for the beautiful moments in my life that I hope to treasure internally
but cannot allow myself to be blinded by. I often find myself lost in
the beauty of the world. Walking barefoot down the hot, concrete road
on a summer night or watching the intricate window displays twinkle and
compete for your attention during Christmas season at the Galleria or
climbing a tree and listening to music in the air or turning cartwheels
in a library � many such simple, unforeseen happenings make me
infinitely content with my life�s direction. However, as Rinpoche warns
in Compassion in Medicine, �The first knowledge [of twofold sublime
knowledge] is the ability to see the true nature of things exactly as
they are.�[8] I must prevent myself from getting so caught up in
the beauty of life that I fail to see the snake across my road, the
pick-pocket at the mall, the weak limb which will throw me from the
tree, or the security guard at the end of the row in the library. In
other words, in order to be a leader, I cannot allow my appreciation
for the world around me to blind me to the dangers I face and to the
needs of others. I must create in myself a very perceptive person,
observing slight differences in those around me all the time and
address people on a one-to-one basis.
A famous nose [9]