Taken in a certain context, most people would agree that this quiet street is beautiful.

If you think about it, though, each house has some tremendous defects such as leaky roofs, ill-fitting doors, cracked windows, and a litany of other defects. The plumbing system certainly must emit many foul odors at certain times of the day. Parking on this street or even walking is probably treacherous much of the time. We are all, each of us, exactly like this picture.

Carefully observed, there are a lot of warts in this picture – if you look closely. The imperfections are almost overwhelming if you zoom in or experience these houses and this street firsthand.

But still, we can look at this picture and see the beauty.

Is it because our focus is distracted? Or because we can admire that which is new to the eye?

I’m not sure, but there is a lesson for each of us hidden in plain sight.