Choice and Miracles

ML Monroe 2016

Sometimes life brings miracles and we recognize them. Yesterday at the beach was crazy rainy and windy. Even our attempt to go for a short walk and take some photos was squelched by the weather.

This morning, we opened the curtains to see this incredible view. Clouds, reflected sun and waves on the other side of the parking lot and trees.

After taking a couple of photos from the balcony, we decided to head for the walk on the beach. We grabbed our various cameras (phones, point-and-shoot, mirrorless and DSLR), bundled up and headed across to the beach. It was perfect. As we walked the beach, we noticed every bit of the beauty along the way. Almost at the same time, we decided to turn around and head back. Perfect timing. As we crossed the parking lot heading back to the hotel, it started to mist and drizzle.

The morning was a miracle. A series of the small ones that often slip by. The bright clouds reflecting the sunlight, the reflection in the water on the parking lot. The crashing of the waves, the dancing sea foam. The incredible play of light and water. And the rain waiting until we were done to begin again.

We always have choice as to our perception of what happens in our lives. We can count things as miracles and blessings. We can take the good for granted. We can focus on the negative that shows up. It's not to say negative or bad things don't happen ~ or we can make them different by ignoring them. It is to say we get to choose our cynosure, our polestar. If we're open to the miracles, they show up ~ and rainy days bring moments of sheer radiant beauty.

On what do you focus when things don't go as you planned? Do you notice the miracles in your life? What have you noticed recently? When did you take the good in your life for granted? What recent happening struck you as influential?

The Eye of the Beholder

Colette Baron-Reid

From the guide:

Examine your perceptions. Do you see the world as perfect and beautiful? Can you retrace your steps from your past to now and see the perfection in the way reality has been created? Truly, perception is everything. The Eyes of Beauty remind you that if you move forward with conviction, all is well now and always will be. You will see true prosperity as a result. Expect to see beauty and you will attract prosperity as a result. Expect to see beauty and you will attract your highest good.

There's a commonly used phrase that "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." If that's as true as we claim, then everything is in the eye of the beholder ~ beauty, grace, joy; and, of course, their opposites. Our perception is the most significant decision-maker for us. We have choice as to how we see people or situations we encounter. 

The other day I saw a friend I hadn't seen for awhile. He was rubbing his eyes, his head down, his face looking solemn and kind of scrunched up. I said, "Tired?" He picked up his head, looked at me and said in a mock hurt tone, "Thanks. Do I look that bad?" I explained why I thought he was looking tired. His response was that it was allergies making him rub his eyes. The remainder of his appearance was part of the reaction to the allergen. 

What a lesson! What I'd intended as a comment of sympathy turned into a misconception. I realized that it was my interpretation of what I saw. That gave me the opportunity to re-evaluate how I see things, how I interpret what I see, and my choice in how I react.

What story do you have of your own misperception? How did you handle it? What did you learn from it?

Portal to Another Realm

What do you see when you look at this picture? What's your first thought? What changes after looking at it over time?

When I first looked at this image, I thought I was looking at a stylized drawing of an MRI tube. Now that I've said that, do you see what I'm talking about? Isn't it fascinating to hear what someone else perceives? How does that affect what you perceive?

For me this place is a portal to another realm of existence. I can look at it for a brief time and see a table ready to be set.... or an eye looking over a card, perhaps a Tarot choice.....

Every day we see, we dream, we imagine images like this one. Rarely do we allow the scene to grab us and pull us in, close enough to smell, taste the moment it arrived.