Sometimes, from where you’re standing, things may look like they aren’t working out at all. Perhaps, you need to shift your position, look at it from a different angle, and see that they are actually aligning perfectly.
We tend to look toward the grandiose as the big target to pursue, and should we fall short with great disappointment, the air in our balloon seems to evaporate rapidly. Like Goldilocks in the famed children’s fairytale, “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” there could be goals that are far too big, some that may be too small, or those that are just right and perfect for what you need. It could be all in the way you look at it, and how you approach the possibilities.
Someone is always watching you whether you realize it or not. Of course, we need to be vigilant about our actions. People are going to perceive what they see based on what they want to see and likely what they stereotype you to be. Look, I think many of us have far surpassed caring about what others think about us, especially when we are trying our darndest to make the right choices and decisions that will propel us to perform our purpose, not to discombobulate our progress.
Not only are adults watching us, but children are watching too. They use all of their senses to observe and mimic what they see or hear us do. Children, especially, can be positively empowered and encouraged by our actions or we can let them down with our waywardness and poor choices.
We have a grand opportunity in this mixed-up, messed-up society, to do something that is going to mean something for the good of mankind. Like many of you, I become frustrated by the corruption we see every day that tries to convince us that such corruption is good. So what do we do? We zero in on ways that we can individually make a positive impact in spite of the mounting reports of the destruction, chaos, and confusion we witness. We can’t save the world, but we can certainly contribute to saving the part of the world we embody. Remember, you don’t have to do something humongous. Just a little dab will do it.
Somebody is always watching us whether we are aware of it or not. Look, there is already a surplus of negativity to go around. So, while they are looking, and even when they aren’t, let’s give them something good to talk about. Be that bright light!
Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth. —Henry David Thoreau
Oh, how nature has an unselfish ability to make me smile and entertain me once again. Ok, so I am the first to admit that it doesn’t take something grandiose to make me excited. A few weeks ago, I wrote about a special moment when I saw a curious rabbit scouring around my neighbor’s backyard just before I closed my blinds for the evening. Ah, a wonderful smile to end my day.
Each day, even in the midst of despair, there is something unexpected that will somehow make us smile with humility. Yesterday, as I was about to close my blinds for the evening, that rabbit appeared again. This time as it quickly darted into my backyard, another rabbit was chasing it. Huh? It looked like its twin. They commenced playing as if no one was watching. How exciting! But I wonder if they are the culprits digging holes in my backyard? Hmmmmm…sorry I digress. And so they merrily hopped and played on the playground of my backyard until they disappeared.
Oh, but that wasn’t all. I spotted two hummingbirds chasing each other around one of our crepe myrtle trees like fighter planes. They would then sit on one of the branches at the top, and then the pursuit began again. What on earth shifted this evening? Is there a tag-team thing happening that I didn’t get the memo on but accidentally stumbled upon? But I was intrigued like a kid in a toy store. Finally, after the escapades ended with the rabbits and hummingbirds, I stood there and couldn’t move. What I thought was a dog trotting through my backyard turned out to be a doe. This female deer was alone, apparently separated from her pack. Yet, after a few moments, she trotted down the path and finally disappeared too.
Had I hurried to close the windows as dusk settled in, I would have missed those magical minutes of sheer pleasure. For times such as this, as I listened to the background noise of the cicadas, sounding like a chorus of maracas, night engulfed the day until I finally closed my blinds and settled in for the night. To pause, be still and watch how creatures operate and interact with each other is a humbling experience. I wonder if this is nature’s version of kicking off “Happy Hour?”
All too often, we get caught up in the fancy-schmancy way of it all that only pushes us to ask, “Why is everything so hard?” Adults can make things complicated, seem out of touch, or just plain ole preposterous. Then, there is the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) response when asking how to do a certain procedure if you overthink things.
For today, keep things simple, whether you’re cooking, cleaning, or working. Make it simple as you gain a sense of clarity that makes you wonder why you haven’t seen things, situations or people clearly before now. You’ll be amazed by how much you notice, appreciate, and marvel. Take it easy and enjoy the simple pleasures of life with gratitude.
Do you have 20/20 vision, or are you nearsighted, farsighted, or have a visual impairment? How do we see things, look at things and evaluate them? All of my amateur and pro-photographer friends out there know that the type of picture you want to capture depends on the type of lens you use to get that perfect shot in focus on your camera.
What does the view look like from our eyes, our lens of perception, and our awareness? How do we view and evaluate our life experiences, our journeys, and our lessons? To look at something is directional but to see something is observational and visually discerning.
Do we only focus on one thing and blur out everything else around us that might be pivotal to what we are focusing on in the first place? What is our outlook on life and living? Are we missing out or have we already missed out on so much that could have been, had we only stopped to look and see?
We’ve always heard the adage, “Never Judge a Book by Its Cover,” right? Yet sadly, people do judge, over and over again. Now, if I gave you a book with the most gorgeous cover you’ve ever seen, you would naturally assume that it’s going to be a good read. Yet when you open that book, it may contain blank pages that leave you clueless and bewildered. On the other hand, some people do not want to touch a book that is tattered and worn, like it’s a venomous snake. Yet, with all the wear and tear, this book could contain a plethora of information and wisdom that could transform your life today and forever.
I was watching a strange movie last night on television that I wasn’t too crazy about, but there was one line that resonated with me that one of the characters said, “Humanity is at war with itself, and it doesn’t even know it.” Somehow we sometimes find that “human” is erased from so many facets of our lives (just look at the nightly news for a show of proof). Humanity entails the qualities that make us human, like compassion, love, empathy, and a willingness to give more than we take.
It’s sad to hear and watch how some people still judge and treat others just because of how they look, where they live, how old they are, or what they wear. So, as we embark on this new year, let’s be more mindful about what we say and how we say it. May we be more compassionate because you never know what someone is going through or what they are dealing with. May we be more aware of our conduct, conversation, and character because words and actions can be powerful and deadly weapons. Be cautious because you never know where or from whom your blessings will come.
We tend to judge people, to size them up simply by the way they look. We reject others based on their net worth, race, color, culture, or community. They may look like a friend when they may actually be a foe. They may look like a foe when they may be a friend.
Yet can we realistically get beyond our prejudices? Can we allow empathy and compassion to lessen our level of intolerance and lack of benevolence? Is there a way to set aside our differences by learning instead of condemning, realizing that we are the same species, living together in this world, like it or not? We can truly be more powerful pulling together instead of pushing each other apart, from a distance or not.
From Behind the Pen 