Sunday Post

Perspective

/ Pat / 24 Comments

We each have a different perspective of how we see the world, events, each other. Our perspective shapes our sense of self and our expectations making it so important to be continually aware of our perspective and to be open to viewing life from different perspectives.

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How often have we seen opportunities for relationships and fun and work as too impossible, too high, too long, too wide, too scary, too hard? I’m a thinker and a planner. I like these qualities in myself because they have helped me make a lot of good decisions and helped me have a very rewarding, successful career. I have noticed, however, that sitting and thinking about, well everything, can immobilize me. You know that chair in my special little room in my house that I have shared with you? Well it provides me a very limited perspective of the world. And as I think about moving from it, all that it will take to accomplish my many goals and projects, well I can think myself into inertia. It seems funny that I can think myself into being tired before I’ve even moved. When I change my perspective to the other side of having accomplished a goal, I am energized. 

I guess I know what I need to do as soon as I publish this post!

This post on perspective is in response to Jake’s Sunday Post. If you want to increase your ability to see life from multiple perspectives you can give Jake a visit at:

http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/2013/05/27/sunday-post-perspective/

Windows to the World

/ Pat / 21 Comments

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I have forgotten the name of this (Jake from Jakesprinter provided the name – a pedestal stereoscope) but I haven’t forgotten the wonder that I felt when I first peered through these windows. This particular one was at the Palm Cottage Museum in Naples Florida but they are like the ones my grandma had. This is how I got my first glimpse of far-away places. Not just pictures of far-away places but pictures that looked real – where there was depth. It felt like I was really there.

I was so very intrigued. On a very hazy level I learned that there were places other than my neighborhood. I wasn’t old enough to understand it but I know it opened a window of wonder about other worlds. The people in my family didn’t travel much – unless you count my grandparents emigrating from Poland when they were in their late teens. I didn’t understand emigration, they were just different in a familiar sort of way.

It has become fun reflecting on my life – maybe because I am gaining a lot of life to reflect on. I am intrigued with how different threads of interest and talent became woven together to form my tapestry, my life history. Seeing the bigger world through these 3-D windows didn’t lead to a life commitment to “travel to exotic places.” No, it wasn’t that conscious, but I think a combination of my personality and quirky fate repeatedly came together to guide my path through life. It was impossible to see when it was happening but now I’m beginning to see it more clearly.

What is interesting is that as I understand my life more clearly, I also have more questions. Did God have a plan for my life even before I was born? What role did self-determination play if there was a plan? If God already had my life planned does it mean that I am delusional to believe that I made choices along the way? Is there a God who is involved with each individual to this extent – to the extent that a 3-D viewfinder was placed where I needed it to open the window of interest? I can’t get my mind around that one. Do I think too much? 🙂

If you want to see other windows or to post your own interpretation of this theme, go to:

http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/2013/05/19/sunday-post-window/

Sunday Post: Anhinga

/ Pat / 16 Comments

I just checked out Jake’s Sunday Post for this week, as I was thinking about posting this image from the Venice Rookery. Jake’s word for this Sunday is ARRANGEMENT. I usually don’t enjoy doing black & white but the Anhinga’s coloring just seemed a natural. I love the arrangement of black and white feathers as he is spreading his feathers to dry.

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I will be posting more information about this fascinating bird and more images in the next few days.

I hope you can arrange to spend some time looking at other interpretations of arrangements at:

http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/2013/03/10/sunday-post-arrangement/

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