by Kelly
Our life is an apprenticeship to the truth that around every circle another can be drawn; that there is no end in nature, but every end is a beginning, and under every deep a lower deep opens. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
No you're reading this right...this isn't a blog post from February. We're still in November. Smack-dab in the middle of Autumn. But apparently ol' man winter didn't get the memo.
We didn't get the massive amounts of snow that some folks did out west. But still...snow in November? That's pretty rare in these parts.
Sunday afternoon I bundled up and took my camera for a little walk around the neighborhood. Because the truth of the matter is that I wasn't particularly excited about the snow. Actually, I've never really been huge fan of Winter to begin with.
What I needed was an attitude adjustment. No! A GRATITUDE adjustment.
And as usual, seeing life through the lens changed my whole perspective...nature never fails to inspire. And the seasons teach me so much about rhythm of life.
For me, gratitude is often linked with acceptance. A conscious softening or openness to present circumstances. And in the case of a frigid, snowy day in November, gratitude fell like soft little snowflakes in my heart...a gentle reminder of this beautiful, unpredictable, and dynamic world.
What about you? I would love for you to share with all of us how the practice of gratitude has changed the way you see something. How has gratitude brought you joy or peace?
Until next time. Kelly
15 comments:
Recently I read a quote to the effect of 'happiness doesn't bring gratitude; gratitude brings happiness.' I think this is true. Yeah, winter came to KY yesterday, too, and we had our first school snow day ... before Thanksgiving. Holy Moley! But, do you know what? My granddaughter and I had a delightful day together. The disappointment of early snow turned into a day to be thankful for. You are intrepid, Kelly, taking a walk in those cold temps but you were well rewarded for it with lovely photos.
Gratitude is linked with acceptance. That is HUGE. Someone in my family needs to hear that.
Beautiful images! We had a very light dusting last week, most of it gone by the time I got out of the house. Today, though, our high temperature will be below freezing. I can't say I welcome that, but maybe I need to grab my camera and take a November photo walk :-)
I am feeling VERY grateful that I had yesterday and today off work and am able to enjoy the snow instead of having to worry about getting up at o'dark thirty and going to work:)
Your photos are stunning, Kelly! It reminds me of the time when I was still living in Germany, where sometimes the first snow would fall in OCTOBER. Not very often, but you had to be prepared. Doesn't happen where I live now except up on top of the Sierra Nevada.
This lovely post really resonated with me too. Your photos illustrate the beauty of the first snow so well. I have in the past few years focused on gratitude daily during the month of November. Acknowledging my blessings has made me a happier person and helped me realize how much I have to be thankful for.
Beautiful pictures, Kelly, and thought stirring words. I think gratitude has a lot to do with "reframing" and one of the women in my self-portrait group does such a practice on IG and it's very inspiring to me. How we see things. In simplest terms, I guess it's glass half empty or glass half full but it's more than that, really. Something about stepping outside our comfort zones to poke around and see where we can find peace and joy in places that might otherwise be just mud puddles (or early snow). Oh man, I'm longwinded today. In answer to your question, the conscious act of practicing gratitude and shooting on a regular basis have completely altered my view of my own world. And as you forced me to print shots and do PL, well, you know the rest, now I have a year of gratitude and "seeing" in the binder. Thank you, Kelly.
Beautiful shots Kelly, I have found that when I focus on circumstances my attitude is all over the place but when I focus on gratitude I am more at peace...
Beautiful images and such a lovely post. We also have snow (too early) and while it is so pretty, the cold (this early) is unwelcome. Yes, I need to adjust my gratitude too <3
"A conscious softening or openness to present circumstances." So well said, my friend. I find myself trying to fight my circumstances often. I needed to read this today. Thank you for sharing your gratitude for life. (beautiful photos too)
you have such a gift for expressing yourself through your writing and photographs. simply beautiful!
Beauty can be found even in the worst of conditions. I'm not a fan of winter but I am trying to adjust my attittude too.
LOVE your blog so much !!
My best positives in life have all developed from negatives :)
Absolutely gorgeous images, Kelly! Winter is definitely NOT my favorite season but I do enjoy it more when I don't fight it and look for the good in it. Then I get out of town ;-)
Post a Comment
Thank you for sharing part of your day with us. If for any reason you are unable to leave a comment here on this post, please leave your comment on our Facebook page or in our Flickr discussion group. We love hearing from you!