Sunday, February 27, 2005
choosing your perspective
life is strange. here i sit -- looking out at the rocky mountains (from my best friend's balcony in boulder, co) and in the tree in front of me is a plastic bag - snarled, torn and stuck high in the branches. as the wind blows it drifts about and makes that crinkly plastic bag sound. and i realize, i get to choose. i can focus on this dirty plastic bag or i can soak up the beautiful mountains. i can put my attention on the beauty and grandeur the mountains evoke, or the environmental decay and human irresponsibility the plastic bag represents. it really is my choice.
of course, there are times in life when we need to grieve, to be sad, frustrated or angry. i'm not advocating avoidance, or pretending the plastic bag isn't really there or that we don't need to do something about environmental degredation. but it seems to me that even those things can be done with your mind fixed on all the beautiful reality around you. that you can hold onto what is good while facing head on what you hate most.
it's like the difference between thinking of a funeral as a time to mourn the loss of a loved one vs. a time to celebrate that loved ones life. more and more i want to choose my perspective, to decide to focus on what is beautiful, amazing and just plain cool all around me. i want to stop worrying if everyone else is having a good time, and just decide to have one myself.
and it's interesting how once you notice that you have this choice of perspective -- the plastic bag almost becomes part of the beautiful picture. as it fills with air and flops around in the wind, i suddenly notice it says "giving our best" on it. life is strange, and lovely.
of course, there are times in life when we need to grieve, to be sad, frustrated or angry. i'm not advocating avoidance, or pretending the plastic bag isn't really there or that we don't need to do something about environmental degredation. but it seems to me that even those things can be done with your mind fixed on all the beautiful reality around you. that you can hold onto what is good while facing head on what you hate most.
it's like the difference between thinking of a funeral as a time to mourn the loss of a loved one vs. a time to celebrate that loved ones life. more and more i want to choose my perspective, to decide to focus on what is beautiful, amazing and just plain cool all around me. i want to stop worrying if everyone else is having a good time, and just decide to have one myself.
and it's interesting how once you notice that you have this choice of perspective -- the plastic bag almost becomes part of the beautiful picture. as it fills with air and flops around in the wind, i suddenly notice it says "giving our best" on it. life is strange, and lovely.
# posted by kirsten johnson @ 10:35 AM 
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I absolutely love this post. I couldn't agree more. I love the quote by Wayne Dwyer that reads: "How others treat me is their path, how I react is mine." It's all about choice - at any given moment we can choose our mood, our reactions, our actions, etc. It's such a little thing that makes a huge difference, and well ALL have the power to do it. Thanks for reminding me!
Hello..
Absolutely! It is our choice on how we are going to deal with all of what life offers us. That is what makes life such a playground...it is full of new ways of being...growing..loving and exploring.
thank you for choosing to share your light...and for how you live life, my friend:)
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Absolutely! It is our choice on how we are going to deal with all of what life offers us. That is what makes life such a playground...it is full of new ways of being...growing..loving and exploring.
thank you for choosing to share your light...and for how you live life, my friend:)
# posted by 
: 7:23 PM
: 7:23 PM << Home