"Majoring in the Minors"

I only had a moment to swing up my camera and get one shot of my dog standing on point overlooking the terrain below.  The lighting was perfect, he was back lit by the setting sun, and he was still only for a second.

I snapped the shutter!

And my satisfaction immediately crumbled to dismay . . . . .  I realized I hadn't adjusted my camera back from the spot metering mode I had been using in a tricky lighting situation a few moments earlier.  With my first glance in the back of the camera I understood that I had completely overexposed my one chance at the shot. If I'd taken the time to check my settings first I'd have missed the shot altogether.

But, as usual, there was an insight to be gained.  When I saw the picture on the computer screen it was obvious that indeed the background highlights were blown out, but the dog himself was quite acceptably exposed.  It occurred to me that this is a great metaphor for moving forward in my life: I can keep my focus on my goal, act fast, not get sidetracked by details, and ultimately I may find those details, which seemed so necessary, will simply fade into the background.

I read some time ago many of us waste our lives by "majoring in the minors".   Today I learned in a small way that bypassing the minors isn't a bad thing at all.

Good Deeds and Gourmet Hot Chocolate

I was at my favorite cafe the other day catching up on an early morning coffee and bagel before moving on with my day.  As usual, it was quite quiet at that hour with only a few leisurely diners, so I had time to observe the interaction between one of the servers and a regular patron.

As the server was returning to the kitchen he beckoned her over and began telling her what a great job she was doing, and that every time he had been into the restaurant her service had been thoughtful and attentive.  He wanted to aknowledge her in some way.  This was genuine sounding, not a 'hit-on'.  The server told him he could call the number on the bottom of the receipt and make any comment he wanted.

I was smiling as I left the restaurant.  The man was holding the receipt in one hand and had his cell phone to his ear with the other as I walked out the door.  That server will now have a permanent positive comment on her work record.   It really doesn't take very much to make a difference in someone's life, but it doesn't stop there.  The patron was happy, as was the server, her manager, me and anyone else we came into contact with. You see, everyone benefits of our good feelings.  We can't possibly know what good a single, seemingly insignificant act can do. Now that's better than a gourmet hot chocolate!

A Small Adjustment Makes All the Difference

It's been quite a while since I've posted here and it's not because the World has finished with me, and it's not because my lens has been quietly packed away in a box somewhere.  My life seems to have been on fast forward all year and I've finally slowed down enough to breathe and to notice.  Notice the subtle messages from the universe around me.

Once again I'm adjusting to a new home, my sixth home this year and I'm trusting it will be my last for a while.  This is a beautiful home with lots of wild desert landscaping all around and plenty of hiking trails for me and my dogs.  The one drawback of this paradise is that there is also a lot of cactus, which has been playing havoc with the dogs' paws.  It was getting to the point that our walks were becoming quite restricted and our enthusiasm was waning.  One of the dogs in particular was having a hard time.  The brave little fellow is blind so avoiding the stickers was even more of a challenge for the both of us.  He got to the point he was shuffling along with his nose to the ground like an old man.

I remembered I had bought him some boots a few years ago and, miraculously, was able to find them again.  What a difference!!  This afternoon he flew down the trail with a spring in his step and all the confidence in the world.  Success.

Isn't it interesting how, even when I know I'm on the right track with this latest move, life still seemed to be a bit of a struggle, but with just a little lateral thinking and a small adjustment I can make a huge leap forward.  That is what the message the World presented me thru my Lens today.  I'm sure there are a few more minor re-directions I can make to other areas of my life, too.

One happy dog.

Fuzzy has always been my ATV dog.  A go anywhere kinda guy.

These boots were made for walking,

And that's just what I've done.

Now I'm gonna take a nap

Right here in the sun!

 Special thanks to Ruffwear for these great quality dog boots.  I'm linking this to the Theme Thursday blog.  The theme this week is gadgets and I think these boots qualify.

High Vibrating Ripples

When I first started this blog in January of  2010 it was my intention to draw attention to all that is right in this world.  More than ever before I'm hearing of an earthquake here, a volcanic eruption there, flooding somewhere else, political chaos and so on, until I was beginning to wonder if my little voice was making any difference at all.

I do know that it does.

Like ripples in a pond, each uplifting thought or deed radiates higher vibrations far out into the energy field of this planet doing unknowable good.  It really doesn't take much effort to notice something nice or light-hearted, and very little more to do something for another.  When I do what to me seems a fairly insignificant deed the high vibrating ripples I send out can prove to be a foil against the unrest all around me.  I will feel good, the recipient will feel better and the wave of elevated mood continues.

Have you ever noticed how good you feel when someone unexpectedly does something  for you without asking a thing in return?   I love that feeling.  I know the more I do that for others the more that will happen to me.  I can't change the world but I can change my world.

Update 2011-09-03:  Immediately after posting this yesterday I grabbed my dogs and took them out for a walk and as luck would have it I hadn't got far when one of them started hobbling badly.  I noticed a large piece of cholla cactus attached to her heel.  Those are the worst cactus to get caught up in as they  are a round spiky barbed ball therefore very difficult to remove by hand.  As I was attending the dog (and getting myself speared) I heard a voice asking if I needed some tweezers.  A woman was trimming her hedge on the far side of the what seemed like a solid 8 feet tall wall of fiscus completely out of sight to me, and yet there she was offering assistance!  Not only did she produce a solid business like pair of tweezers out of thin air, she also asked that I bring the piece of cactus to her for proper disposal ensuring no one else got injured.  Now this is what I mean by a mood enhancing event.

*note to self: always carry your swiss army knife on walks and/or an old fashioned hair comb to slide between the skin and the cactus to lift it out.

No Limit Women!

I think it's absolutely wonderful that so many people are no longer buying into a life of limitation.  Great thinkers for hundreds of years have encouraged us conceive, believe and achieve. That we are the generals of our own lives, and many of us are finally getting it.  It doesn't have to be anything grand like inventing a computer, or a motor that doesn't use fossil fuels.  No, it's the little freedoms that we are claiming as our own that are making differences in our health, well being and attitude to life.

Yesterday the World inspired me with what it had to show me.  I was sitting relaxing under a beautiful old oak tree in a wildlife preserve area and off in the distance I saw a group of riders coming my way.  Their horses were moving towards me at quite a determined clip and they had my total attention.

I used to ride back in the day, and it was the most exhilarating  feeling to have the wind flying through my hair as the hooves pounded beneath me.  The creak of the saddle leather, the smell of those sweaty shoulders in front of me, those delicate ears constantly swinging back to check on me then flipping forward to watch the terrain flying up to meet us, the mighty burst of power when I recklessly asked for more speed....aahh....that was living!  I was a teenager back then and absolutely fearless on a horse as most teenagers are.

 
As these riders swung out from the oak grove and into the parking lot beside me I saw they were all women.  The first couple dismounted and allowed their horses to drink in the watering tank and the others lined up in couples behind them, patiently waiting their turn.  As they swung off their sweaty steeds it became apparent that most of these ladies weren't teenagers.  In fact, several of these bold riders probably were grandparents to teenagers.  They looked very stiff, quite sore, and yet I didn't not hear any complaints.  Their faces were beaming with pride and they petted and loved on their gentle partners,  pulled the saddles off and fed them treats.

These women had no such limiting belief that they were too old, too heavy  or too infirm  to ride.  No way!  These gals were out for a good time.  What an inspiration they were. 

"Was it as good for you as it was for me?"

Heading home for a hot shower.

The Law of Least Effort

It's been quite the year of not-so-much-fun events for me this year. 

I've had plenty of opportunities to grow as each new challenge dropped unexpectedly into my lap from seemingly a great height, bringing with it a new set of situations I have to find a way of dealing with.  I know that I'm not the only one and I truly feel for those whose situations seem to be an unrelenting grind of exaggerated proportions.

It seems to me, though, that when I can take time to quieten myself down after each broadside the World does offer a teaching, or simply just an alternative way of looking at the situation.  Yesterday, after the latest upheaval, I was sitting quietly re-reading that classic book of Dr Deepak Chopra's "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success" looking for some inspiration.  As I was reading the Law of Least Effort I noticed some movement in the bushes outside my window.  Some little rodent was in the bush.  I'd seen glimpses of it before but as soon as it felt my eyes on it it instantly disappeared.  It occurred to me that I would borrow  Deepak's law and see if I could get a picture of the little rodent, after all I don't believe in coincidences; that creature was in the bush in front of me for a reason.  I quietly and easily, without any exaggerated effort, got out of my chair, collected my camera, sat back down and looked through my Lens.   The little fella was still there and it made it quite clear that it was watching me as I was watching it, and it was not in any mood to leave until it was good and ready!

So what was different about my energy that invited the animal to share the space this time and not on other occasions?  The only difference that comes to mind is that this time I was going to take a picture of it.  On other days it was oh my gosh! Look at that! Where's my camera?... oh, never mind - it's gone already.


This was the teaching the World had for me this time.  As the famous Yoda said, there is no try.  There is only do or not do, and when I release all the drama and angst from any situation the way becomes clear, although not always easy.  The Law of Least Effort in action.

I'm not quite sure what animal this is so I'm linking this to the Nature Notes at Rambling Woods as I'm sure Michelle or someone else will identify it for me.

“It is Never too Little ….

even when the task seems absolutely daunting”.

That is the message the World presented to me though my Lens today.
The beautiful patch of desert that is now my home is quite close to a town, and unfortunately illegal dumping of trash seems to be the name of the game.  Vast acres of once pristine desert has been liberally dredged with trash.  Very disheartening, I thought.


The World, however, had a different take on it.  This morning as I was walking earlier than usual I came across my neighbors diligently bagging up trash.  When I commented on it they told me that every day when walking they gathered up stray trash and placed debris in piles along the trail, then on trash pick-up morning they hauled their piles out to a pick up point.
Now there are three of us gathering trash each day.

the beginning of another trash cache

One of the trails requiring attention.

I am linking this to http://ramblingwoods.com as my Nature Notes  for the week.