Day 12 of Your Year to Wellness
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| When I changed the way I saw the world I was able to change the way others saw me |
I got up one morning several years back and looked out my window onto the marsh and could see that the sky was gray and over cast. I could feel my expectations lower as I ritualistically made my bed and then stretched in preparation for the “gloomy” day. After more ritual type performances like brushing my teeth and cleansing my face, I set out for the kitchen area where I tend to sit and work. My sister Chris was already up cleaning and listening to her tape recorder which is full of the sounds of bird calls and the sayings of my mother which she’d been preserving for coming generations. I remarked on the gray gloomy sky and Chris just looked at me. A while later she proclaimed that she loved days like this one, because on these overcast days you could see the colors and shapes of everything much better.
In that moment, my perspective shifted and I was forever changed.
In that exchange of thoughts I learned that my perspective was out of focus. Now on overcast days, I see the diversity of greens and take note of the difference in years among pine cones and the brilliant colors of birds I might have otherwise missed. That small shift not only altered my world view, but it forced me to turn my rituals into celebrations. Making the bed is a prayer of thanksgiving for the bed and a night of rest. In that time I think of my ancestors and the legacy they’ve left bringing me this far. When I brush my teeth I make faces at myself reminding me to never take myself too seriously because when I do, I miss my own joy. Now as I walk from my bedroom to the kitchen, I marvel at the smallest things and the “everyday” sounds of life.
That one thought shared by my sister opened up a window of mystery that I had not seen before. I began to wonder and look about for the other missed opportunities and now I see them daily; the way a titmouse eats from the bird feeder taking one nut to eat and another to store in a nearby tree, while the finch will eat all that it can. I’ve become enthralled by pine cones ever since a friend pointed out the difference between male and female cones (sorry you have to look it up.) and whenever I feel like I’m “out of my league” I look at the YouTube video of Aretha Franklin when she stepped in for Luciano Pavarotti at the Grammys and sang Nessun Dorma. 1998 Grammys
There is much more to your life than you are seeing. One shift in focus will change you forever.
Here are those 5 tips to help you see your world in a different light.
· Take a different route. When you drive to work, the grocery store or any short errand, go a different way. Drive down a street or road that you’ve passed often but have never been on. What can you see that you haven’t before?
· Sleep on the other side of your bed. When you wake up, change the order of your morning rituals. What impact does this shift have on your morning?
· Really listen. Talk to someone you work with or see regularly and ask them to tell you about their favorite song or movie. Listen to learn not to impress.
· RE-Search. Pick a subject, any subject; one that is familiar to you but not fully known and explore it for 30 minutes. Share what you’ve learned.
· Tell someone you love them.
Seeing is believing but first, you have to see. A change of view will bring about a change of heart.
BE you, BE well, See
Bertice Berry, PhD.
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