Throughout the years of publishing Picture to Ponder and Treasure Your Life Now, there’s been the recurring theme of “Being Present in Our Lives” – “present” to the people in it and to our environments.
This includes hearing what is being said, rather than listening to the voices in our head and what we think is being spoken by another person. [click to continue…]
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This issue of Treasure Your Life Now brings with it prayers (however they are said), plus love and wishes for peace for people in stress all over the world. This, of course, extends to everyone including all of you who are stress free.
Closer to home, for me, this is going out to all who are suffering in the areas of damage and devastation in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and other coastal and New England states as a result of Hurricane Sandy. Because the areas geographically and familially are close to my roots, I’m finding particularly challenging putting together this issue of Treasure Your Life Now.
Always wanting to “help”, I’m left wordless in the light of what’s happened, been happening. Before the storm hit on Sunday, I was at a Saturday wedding. The ceremony was on the beach in Ocean City, NJ, just south of Atlantic City. During the whole afternoon and evening we experienced one of the most outwardly joyous and loving wedding celebrations I’ve been to. The next day, after family and friends had departed, came the storm. [click to continue…]
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“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” Marcel Proust
The Marcel Proust quote above is one of my favorites. Referencing discovery and new eyes, it expresses the foundation of what Treasure Your Life Now is all about.
The fulfillment of it becomes truly alive for me when you, too, experience the essence of the voyage of discovery.
Today’s Spatterdock plant photos represent a recent awakening I had. For the past seven plus years I have been sporadically photographing the Spatterdock plant, leaves, roots and flowers. The leaves were always green.
To my recollection the very first time I realized that the leaves are heart-shaped was when I saw some Spatterdock leaves that were pink (below and in the thumbnail photo above).
In the upper photo the heart-shape is quite obvious, especially since I’m looking for it now. Only at the time, in March 2006, I was so caught up in experiencing the golden end-of-the-day light that the shape totally eluded me, at least as I reflect on it now.
It was the pink, a color we associate with hearts, that had that image now stand out, having me see the Spatterdock leaves with new eyes.
For fun, I’ll share a couple of other Spatterdock photos featured in much earlier issues of Picture to Ponder.
In the photo right above, my attention is immediately drawn to the little face I see under the Spatterdock root. Looking to our right, she has a pointy nose. When I about her before I called her Little Red Riding Hood. Now I’m thinking she’s wearing a chef’s hat or different kind of bonnet. What do you see?
In the upcoming Through and From The Lens course, starting this Wednesday, October 3, we will have fun looking for, among many other things, faces and other images. They will be surfacing as you start using your unique and expanded “new eyes.”
The last Spatterdock photo, for today, is for those among you who prefer more traditional scenes:
a turtle sunning on a Spatterdock root
Today’s Photos –
as, stated above, are of the Spatterdock plant. All but the ones that include pink leaves were taken in Wakodahatchee Wetlands. The latter were in Green Cay Wetlands.
Self-Reflecting Queries and Relationship Tips –
Today, I invite you to look into your life to see where you might be viewing people and situations with already pre-conceived, expectations, from what you “know.”
Are there any situations that seem “sticky” to which you might bring “new eyes?”
In referencing it to a Relationship Tip, I invite you to open up a discussion with the person, or persons, in the sticky situation. Share what it is you are seeing, with no attachment to the outcome or that the other person(s) see it your way.
Then ask, and be open to, what they see.
You might also start looking for faces and other imagery in your physical environment, playing the same game with another person. What makes it easy, enjoyable AND eye-opening is that there are no right or wrong answers. It’s risk-free!
As always, have fun, and please post what comes up for you in the Comments section below.
Last Chance for learning to Take Great Photos without being a Camera Wiz, understanding all of the settings –
If you are one of the subscribers who has from time-to-time thought about enrolling in the Through and From The Lens, four-week Telecourse, NOW IS IT for registration. This is the LAST TIME I will be offering the course.
Following are a few of the reasons, participants who have enrolled in the upcoming course:
• tired of not using her camera because she was befuddled with all of the settings, now having a new camera and declaring, “It’s time!”
• desire to take more creative photos on an upcoming scheduled cruise than she took in her last.
• wish to learn more of how I see both “inside and out.”
Judith Tramayne of agoodread.com, one of the past participants, recently wrote:
“You made me so aware of what I was missing. Looking through a lens tends to make one focus. I loved how you taught me to appreciate my camera as a means to increase my creativity.”
She concluded, “I didn’t even like a camera before I took your class.” Now she is photographing regularly and used picture she took in the course as a reference for one of the painting illustrations in a new book.
For details, bonuses, registration information and to see testimonials and photographs from some other past participants go to Telecourse
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I am in one of those states of query and mixed emotions. I would expect that you also experience such states at one time or another.
On the one hand I am thrilled and excited. On Tuesday evening, September 11th I will be doing an open phone interview with Jerry Downs, professional photographer, writer and much more. Many of you, I know, already appreciate his awesome photos, his humor, poignant messages and views of the world. I feel privileged on behalf of us all that he accepted my request for an interview. (See BELOW the Queries and Tips for a link to register for the free call AND for the download gift of his book THE PRESENT.) [click to continue…]
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As I was reviewing prior Picture to Ponder publications when preparing for today’s issue of Treasure Your Life Now, the following photos popped out. They “asked” to be shared with you.
Before saying anything more, I’ll allow them to wordlessly speak to you. Simply be with the images for a for a moment or two.
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Are you regularly using your digital camera and/or your camera phone as one of your means of communication with yourself and your loved one(s)?
Are you filled with pride and taking pictures you love, then sharing them on cards, online albums, blog posts, email and/or on your walls?
Or, are you one who sometimes doesn’t even think to use your camera – digital or phone – for communication and taking special pictures? [click to continue…]
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Is your already “knowing the answers”, at least thinking you do, getting in the way of taking action?
Conversely, is the “need to know the answers to certain questions” stopping you from moving forward?
Are you in Wonder, Query, or Knowing? [click to continue…]
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Today’s Photos and Story –
The above pink tulip bud was first featured in Picture to Ponder more than seven years ago. How timeless and fresh it looks here today.
Yet it’s an image that could have been totally overlooked. It was in the midst of a plant I had purchased and put in the trunk of my car. When I opened the trunk this bud caught my eye and I went for the camera before the flower had a chance to open.
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Today’s issue of Treasure Your Life Now looks at communication in our relationships and opportunities for shifting out of negative states. We will also see a demonstration of the possibilities that can open up when “playing,” adding relaxation and fun to what’s happening in the moment.
If you are a woman, married or single, and looking for more romance in your relationship, be sure to check out the special offer on the Lifelong Romance Retreat at which I will be an exhibitor on June 23rd. (after the Tips)
Today’s Photos and Story –
Going through some old papers the other day, I found one of the numerous Haikus I had written six and seven years ago when I was experiencing a great deal of anger at how Parkinson’s Disease was affecting my beloved Sam. [click to continue…]
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