Are you frustrated because you’re stuck in seeing things the same way all of the time?
You want to let fresh air in and shake up your perceptions but you don’t know how.
What if I told you that you could do one thing that will get you opening up like a flower in full bloom? That will stoke your imagination?
And that’s fun to do?
I did it this morning. By 530am, my juices were going strong. Even now, I feel like something deep inside was stirred up. Something that will end up as an ingredient in a rich, delicious stew.
What happened was both simple and profound.
One of my daily rituals is to be in the garden before the sun rises. I observe, deadhead spent blooms, cajole the plants, and take in the beauty surrounding me. Luckily this morning I noticed a freshly fallen orange canna flower laying on top of one of its leaves.
I ran into the house and grabbed my camera. And started shooting. From different angles and perspectives.
Here’s a series of photos that I took in less than 5 minutes.
Spend a few seconds looking at each one.
What did you see as you scrolled down the photos? Did you see the composition as anything other than a flower and leaves? Did you feel your imagination breaking through?
5 Tips To Help You Shake Up How You See Things
1. Start with a Beginner’s Mind. Don’t reject it. The ‘not-knowing’ allows you to play and learn with no expectations. It’s actually a part of your intrinsic wisdom.
2. Be still. Take a deep breath. Give yourself the gift of using all of your senses to take in what’s surrounding you.
3. Choose an object to meditate on. It can be anything….a chair, a candle, a tapestry, a stone. It doesn’t matter what, as long as it’s not moving.
4. Do the following:
a.” Sit, stand, or lie still and focus your eyes sharply on the object in front of you.
b. Without moving your eyes, broaden your attention until it registers everything in your field of vision, including the original object of focus.
c. Now still without moving your eyes at all, make the object the foreground of your attention, and everything else the background.
d. Next, make the object the background, everything else the foreground.
e. Focus on everything in your visual field at once while repeating this yoga slogan. “Floor to ceiling, wall to wall, all things equal.” “
Taken from Finding Your Way In A Wild New World, by Martha Beck.
5. Re-frame how you see the object. When you start, if you only see a chair as a chair, then focus on one piece of it, like its legs, and imagine what it might be or what it could be used for.
Once you get the hang of doing this, you’ll be surprised at how quickly your brain and eyes are able to take what you thought was one object and transform it into something else. If you take it one notch up, you’ll be able to tell a story about it.
Fun, playful, and magical…oh yes. Kids love it.
That’s what I call firing up your imagination.
So, what are you waiting for?
Now it’s your turn. Share you stories about how you’ve experienced an object from different perspectives. Was it a momentary flash? Or did it linger? Has your imagination been sparked?
Re-framing is such an enjoyable activity. New perspectives make for a happier day.
Thank you, Fran. The photos are beautiful.
Vidya…..How do you come up with such good saying>
‘New perspectives make for a happier day’. That’s a keeper!
Gorgeous photos, Fran and what a wonderful exercise! I feel that I have a lack of imagination so I’m going to have fun practicing 🙂
Claire…..You absolutely don’t have a lack of imagination. Perhaps you just haven’t exercised it enough. Start playing with these exercises and let’s see what happens!
I really enjoyed the exercises Fran. It opened my eyes even more to the beauty that’s always around us if we simply pay attention. Plus as an added bonus, it quiets the mind ~ always a good thing for me. 🙂
Elle
xoxo
Elle….Quieting the mind, slowing down, listening, and observing…..can you imagine what life would be like if we were so grounded that 90% of the time we lived that way. I’m working on it! xxoo-Fran
I’m going right out to the garden!
Galen…..I can think of no better place to be except when it’s 90 degrees plus. That’s why I’m out there at 530am….
Hi Fran,
I enjoy my garden and I enjoy my Imagination. “Nature” is good for firing up one’s soul be that plant life or bird life, sunsets/rises, rivers, streams, sunshine
be good to yourself
David
Hi David…..It’s critical that every human being connects to nature. It is our birthright. Fran
Fran,
Lovely! I had a blast at the lavender farm. I purchased an entire flat. This time if some die, some will live;) I took a lot of photos and picked some as well. Right now I’m so fired up from the WDS that I am just giddy. It was amazing. LIfe changing.
Hi beautiful Bold Tess…..Am glad you didn’t give up on your lavender and bought a flat of them….good for you!
While I was deadheading mine this morning with the scent wafting around me, I thought about Provence and how visiting there inspired me to start using lavender in my garden. xxoo-Fran
I love this process! Although it involves a bit more active energy, my kids are constantly showing me how they see everything differently. The other day they went outside and created some of their sculptures out of rocks, pine cones, sticks and whatever else they can find. The creations they put together are amazingly creative!
Just today my 6yr. old daughter presented my husband with a gift: a beautiful rock elaborately wrapped in tissue paper and other gift wrapping.
Thanks for this beautiful process that I can use on my own! You’re beautiful!! XOXOXO
Hi Fran,
I love getting up early in the morning like you. My juices seem to be going and my imagination often goes crazy! Love your pictures. And really, really love your tips. I’ve just been reading about beginner’s mind and working on a post about it. Thanks for other tips, too. I’m going to concentrate on reframing objects – a really interesting idea!
Betsy- Isn’t it wonderful in the morning when everything is so fresh? It is a feeling of rejuvination. I understand why you’re juiced up and filled with imagination then Betsy.
I think you’ll enjoy playing around with visual re-framing. Once you get the hang of it, you do it without even meaning to!! 🙂 Fran
Great idea. I find re-framing to be helpful in life too, not just to inspire creativity. Looking at your life from an outsider’s perspective helps you see what you’d want to change, and more importantly, what you’re grateful for.
Leanna….
Some great points that you make. We are a society who focuses on what’s wrong with us. That is how we have been trained to see ourselves. Why not look at what’s right about our life, who we are, and how we live. That’s one way of seeing what works and what doesn’t. I think that re-framing should be an element taught in schools for building critical thinking skills. Thanks for your input. Fran