One of the most amazing joys of moving to Colorado over twenty years ago was the opportunity to savor the sensory overload of Rocky Mountain National Park. Last week, a new hike, and incredible new views of familiar terrain, still induced awe. The air was crisp, a preview to the fall certain to arrive on our calendars this week. Yet the wildflowers were still abundant, in yellow, white, blue, gold and purple, and unlike the leaves in Boulder, which are beginning to turn, the leaves were still fresh and green.
Yes, it's been an unusual year, with snow packing trails as late as July that are usually clear by the end of May or early June. The late winter storms give us the gorgeous late wildflower blooms. The elk are bugling, so that part is still on schedule. But something was different about this day.
The clarity of the shades of green (and brown where the pine beetle has left it's mark) was distinct. They popped like a numbered drawing, where one shade abuts another in a predetermined outlined picture. The clouds seemed to move faster that day, slipping quickly over the jagged crest of Long's peak. The lighting brought out first the green, then the red and black streaks, then overlain with a shade of gold. The entire landscape was alive and breathing.
There are certain moments when you begin to see things differently. It's like the first time you reread a book, an article, or see a movie, and it appears to be a different one than you first read or saw. Noticing different elements than I might have the first time in the Park, I have developed a deep appreciation of looking at the same old thing anew. Revisiting a landscape, or a thought, or idea, I know now this is true in other arenas as well. The more familiar I become with a topic, the easier it is to grow my expertise. It takes less thinking. You can see what is different and new more easily. My brain already has a paradigm it has been working with, and knowing and growing from that place is a joy.
This week, I hope you revisit the familiar, and look at ways to see and appreciate what you find in a new way. This is how we learn, by absorbing knowledge, and then gaining experience to see how the paradigms actually resonate with us. Developing and learning in any arena can ultimately bring more ease and joy into your life. How has this worked in your life? Are there areas you can look back on and see this has been true? I'd love to hear from you.
Yes, it's been an unusual year, with snow packing trails as late as July that are usually clear by the end of May or early June. The late winter storms give us the gorgeous late wildflower blooms. The elk are bugling, so that part is still on schedule. But something was different about this day.
The clarity of the shades of green (and brown where the pine beetle has left it's mark) was distinct. They popped like a numbered drawing, where one shade abuts another in a predetermined outlined picture. The clouds seemed to move faster that day, slipping quickly over the jagged crest of Long's peak. The lighting brought out first the green, then the red and black streaks, then overlain with a shade of gold. The entire landscape was alive and breathing.
There are certain moments when you begin to see things differently. It's like the first time you reread a book, an article, or see a movie, and it appears to be a different one than you first read or saw. Noticing different elements than I might have the first time in the Park, I have developed a deep appreciation of looking at the same old thing anew. Revisiting a landscape, or a thought, or idea, I know now this is true in other arenas as well. The more familiar I become with a topic, the easier it is to grow my expertise. It takes less thinking. You can see what is different and new more easily. My brain already has a paradigm it has been working with, and knowing and growing from that place is a joy.
This week, I hope you revisit the familiar, and look at ways to see and appreciate what you find in a new way. This is how we learn, by absorbing knowledge, and then gaining experience to see how the paradigms actually resonate with us. Developing and learning in any arena can ultimately bring more ease and joy into your life. How has this worked in your life? Are there areas you can look back on and see this has been true? I'd love to hear from you.
