So many little things to notice, in life- Good Things.

Have you ever looked at something normally seen as a negative but, saw positivity?  It’s like learning how to shift our perspectives, to shift our moods- intentionally.  I know some people want us to see negativity or to feel down or sad…we don’t have to be like anyone else…a big lesson for our kids and US. Why do we have to side with the negativity anyway?

What is the real reason behind this post? Contrary to what we see on the news, I see that out in the world, we still have something to protect.  We have to care more and one of the biggest ways to start caring (and doing) is to be open enough to what is still all around us.

Frequently, I remember the perspective a particular professor had on traffic.  To him, traffic was an example of how people actually successfully function  with each other.  Sometimes people flip each other off and accidents happen (of course there are always the exceptions).  To this prof, frustrations don’t take away from the bigger picture- a lot of people routinely using the same highway system successfully.

Its not just about the the habit of leaning negative or positive, in our thoughts. Its also about noticing the details. For me, there were days when it was the small stuff that made a day good or kept the day from getting worse…really, there are so many small details that make  life and protecting our world, worth it.  The challenge is to notice the details.

As a mom, I want our children to inherent an awesome world- one we cared for… As a dreamer, I see how it is possible.  On some level, I hope I am contributing to the world as well.

So, today it is about beauty existing in the details of life- below is my short list of things that have or do elevate me…and how I know the world is amazing. Do you have a list of things that elevate you?

Little things that have elevated my mood:

• Seeing a man holding his adult son’s hand. His son’s brain clearly functioned slightly different.  It provoked a feeling in me.  There was beauty in the way this father was guiding his son.  The father seemed like a pro in his role- confident steps, walking close to his son and unbothered by anyone who didn’t notice the subtle details to this dynamic. I think I even saw pride in the way this dad looked at his son.  I noticed this duo because, it was two men hand in hand in a part of the U.S. where this doesn’t happen…  A part of me wonders how his son has actually been guiding his dad… These two men felt like a team. Do you ever feel the love other people feel for each other?
• The way my lion cub son becomes gentle and nurturing with infants.  He challenges adults but, is protective and nurturing to babies.
• A purple rose
• Peculiar animal behavior.  Tootsie Boo Bogan is a cat that enjoys sitting in rainstorms and sharing her food with a possum family.  Tootsie is also an avid fence climber.  I let her stalk me and she lets me take her wherever I move.
• Candles
• Seeing my quiet and gentle son stand up for himself, not scared.
• Hearing honest, curious and sincere conversation among people who seem fundamentally different but, are not interested in debate.  The last time I saw this happen, it was like two people wanting to understand something unknown.  I have been lucky enough to have had a life where there were opportunities for this to happen. True dialogue without agenda is rare but, elevating.
• I love to see large birds soar.  They can move through the air without even trying, without even flapping their wings for long stretches of time- 15, 20 minutes.
• Certain coastlines with the breeze and the ocean contrasting my tiny existence.
• That sudden feeling of not being alone, in an empty room.  It’s a light feeling, for me.
• I love when strangers talk to me like I have always known them.  We should all talk more with each other.
• I love to see people questioning things.
•  I love the feeling of unity.  Unfortunately, this feeling usually happens after tragedy but, unity could happen more…
• Art. By nature, I am a person who wants to figure everything out. I want to understand with my brain, the talents or genius I see in people. I can’t understand it fully with my head. To me, artistic ability is more proof that human beings are more than we may fully realize.  Some of the things we do or think of is amazing. Some paintings, buildings, literature, some musicians, can bring tears to a person’s eyes, when these things are really seen or heard. The complexity, the completeness (?). Where does this ability and creativity come from? Have you ever read a book multiple times and realized something new every time?  Some works of art are so complex that we cannot even realize half of it with only a single experience of it.
• The warmth of the sun in the fall.
• A twenty- four-year old memory of a hug.

What is on your list for things that elevate your mood? Are you a dreamer ? What are your dreams?

-To the things we cannot buy-