A simple pause in the day –
It’s amazing what a moment of pause, of placing your focus on something else can do for you. While I was out earlier, I was lost in thought thinking about how limited I am right now in my mobility, how life has a way of slowing you down, when suddenly I noticed the tree with its green leaves against the blue sky and the gorgeous clouds, and everything changed, and gratitude showed up.
Happy day!!!
Blessings
I started to take photos because I wanted my own photos to be showcased in my blog posts. When I started I had no idea if what I was doing was good or not, I just did it. No one ever complained about them (LOL) and to me the photos were of course, amazing.
What started out as wanting to use my own photos, has evolved into so much more than just the act of snapping a picture for my blog. Stopping and taking a photo of a tree, a flower, of how the light comes through the window, has become a mindfulness pause in my day. It’s become a way of connecting with my intuition and following its guidance. It’s a moment in meditation. It’s me being one with what I’m photographing. It’s magic, it’s passion, it’s JOY. It’s my feelings in the photo, making taking a photo a deep and rich experience.
If you’re not already giving yourself the gift of a daily mindfulness photo pause, I’m encouraging you to do so. You don’t need an expensive camera, I take all my photos with my phone, it’s what I have with me all the time, so it’s super easy. Before you go out set the intention to find something to photograph, guaranteed you’ll find something or someone and let that be your daily fun practice.
At first I felt very self-conscious about taking a photo outside, I thought everyone is looking at me. I’ve gotten over it. I don’t make taking photographs an impossible thing, I make it easy and fun. I don’t compare my photos to anyone else, I don’t worry over if they’re perfect, I let my intuition guide me, and I shoot what I like. And it doesn’t have to be a photo outside, it can be a mindfulness pause right inside your home. I take photos of family, I stage photos for a particular blog post. I take photos that never make it to publishing. Inside or outside, doesn’t matter, what matters is that I take a moment to pause and to connect with my inner self to create.
The other thing that’s happened is that I developed a connection and a love for photography and I want my photos to be visually attractive. When I shoot I look for composition and light. I use two apps for editing, Phonto and WordSwag. These apps allow me to highlight and use text and they are free to download. There are many more apps that are great that you can find in a google search. And I’ve also taken a couple of online photography courses.
I took all these photos of my neighbors tree over the last few days. I told my neighbor that technically you could say that the tree is mine since some branches overlap into my yard, LOL. I have a relationship with this tree, I’ve watched it grow from a seedling, I love this tree we greet each other every day.
Stopping to take a photo is a mindfulness act, a moment in meditation, a connection between you and the subject you’re photographing. With every photo we’re creating a composition, our images tell stories, and we’re creating a moment of magic and wonder that fills us with JOY. JOY. JOY.
I’d love to know if you’re practicing a daily, mindful photo pause already. Or, do you want to start and you have questions. I’d love to know.
Blessings
I love to bring a moment of mindful pause into my day, purposefully being aware of what’s around me. Stepping into a moment of pause, is filling me with joy and beauty.
It’s raining here today and when I went out to get the garbage can I noticed how beautiful and vibrant my plants and stones looked all wet from the rain. It’s as if they’ve been infused with a new energy and beauty. It made my whole body connect with the beauty in front of me.
This was my mindful pause yesterday morning, I noticed the beauty of this tree against the sky, in the parking lot coming out of the store.
Creating a mindful pause and stopping for just a moment to take in the beauty that surrounds you every day, is a great way to let yourself drift into the moment and allow it to fill you with magic, and take you out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary of the everyday. You can make it an intention to mindfully find and admire something every day. A tree, a flower, a bench, a person, the way the sky looks, a child playing, the chirping of the birds, a swing in a park,…it can be anything, a rock on the ground. But whatever it is for you, make a mindful pause part of your must for the day. It will create a positive change in the way you feel.
I was going to write about my new word mindfulness, and I will, but today I wanted to share with you, what my word has already started to teach me. For me, this is a practice I intend on continuing, sprinkling my days with mindful moments, that fill me with magic, joy and love.
Feel free to share in the comments below, your own ‘mindful pause’ of the day, if you have a picture that’ll be great, love to see it.
Blessings
In My Everyday Life 