Transitions, Transformations and a Little Photography
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In a Funk
This one has been difficult to write and I’ve edited multiple times.
It’s been a tough summer. There! I’ve admitted it and committed it to writing - a big deal for me. I generally try to be optimistic and look for the bright side of things (yes, Life of Brian is a favourite movie - think of the closing credits song - Always Look on the Bright Side of Life), but to be honest right now that’s not working, so I’m going to embrace the fuzzy and see if that helps.
I think historically I’ve been the optimist seeker out of fear - there is a history of depression in my family and I have always felt that giving in to those feelings of being down, fuzzy or grey will lead to a downward spiral of depression and be much harder to dig myself out of. Fear has been a big motivator in my life - it allows me to spend time in the future and the past without having to really experience the here and now
Reflections and gratitude
It has been a long standing practice of mine to spend a bit of time at the end of every year reflecting back on everything that has come to pass and the things that haven’t been realized. I wouldn’t say that I set resolutions or goals for the upcoming year, but I do spend time thinking about what I’d like to do more or less of as well where I see myself by the end of the year. I like having ideas of where and what I want to achieve as this helps to provide a guide post for my year.
I find that by setting these intentions it is surprising how many are realized by the end of the year when I do my reflection. It is like these ideas guide my subconscious and help me stay on track.
Contemplations
I have recently finished listening to an audible book called The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby who experienced a life changing stroke and ended up with a condition called “locked in syndrome”. This means that he remained mentally astute, but had no verbal capabilities or movement save being able to blink his left eyelid and minor head movement. The book was dictated by Bauby over a two month period by blinking his left eye and using a special alphabet template to enable him to communicate.