Advice – Perspective

This morning, I sat down in my favorite chair to look at magazines. Not entertainment rags. Though, the fact that I called them “rags” makes it sound like I hate them, which I don’t. I will skim through People in the waiting room of the dentist or if I want something mindless to read in an airplane. Now, there I go again… saying “mindless.” Clearly, I have issues. (Ha! Issues. Pun alert! Ha!)

The magazines I had waiting in my basket are higher-end (looking, if not in reality) glossies from around town. One was from the optometrist’s office I visited this week. Another was at the grocery store. The third was from WestJet, the airline I flew with on my recent jaunt to visit my California family.

I sat down with scissors in hand and began turning the pages… in search of things that touched or motivated me to do better and be better. As I mentioned HERE, I had a few open spaces to fill on my vision board and wall of dreams.

The featured photo is of the words and statements I found. I snapped the photo and then thought to myself that you, my dear readers, would probably think I was reading from feel-good and self-help-y magazines, judging by what I cut out. Would it surprise you to know that these statements came from an article about indigenous people of Canada, an ad for glasses, another one for soup and a travelogue about The Great Lakes?

See, I have this ability – and it’s actually one I appreciate – to tease out a small nugget or blessing from a bigger picture… and I mean that literally, figuratively and spiritually.

Some of my best photos would stun you if you knew where they came from… like…

I was driving home on the “scenic route” hoping to find a pretty little street like this one >>>>>>. In actuality, this wasn’t a pretty street at all. It was a driveway. But taken the way it was… from this perspective…  made me think of possibilities and where the road might go once it turned the corner. 

On this late summer day,  I stood on the edge of the world and saw the sun shining through the tree branches. But really, it was someone’s yard next to a public park.

Another day, I slowed down in front of a neighbor’s place to take a shot of this scene that just screamed of summer! I mean, it’s just a bike parked against a house. But it touched me.

And finally, I share this with you. A beautiful waterfall in an exotic, foreign location. Well, actually, it’s not from either… it’s not outside at all. It’s not large. It’s a very small waterfall inside a building at a butterfly conservatory. You’d never know, if I didn’t tell you.

See… it’s all in how you look at things.

Find the small corners, the driveways and scenes that nobody notices but you. Savor the moments… take photos… write a poem…

Even a recipe for soup can give you a sense of confidence. Silly, right? What I should have said was this: Maybe, like me, you see a story about how to make soup with confidence and grab your scissors. You cut out the word “Confidence” and put it on your vision board. You know, to remind yourself to be confident in ALL you do. Nobody else needs to know where you got it… and it doesn’t matter anyhow.

My advice is to look between the lines… around the corner… and into the smaller view inside the big picture… at least, every once in a while. You might be surprised at what you find!