Dear ,

Once again, it pleases me to wish you a Happy New Year and New Decade. Today's issue of PICTURE TO PONDER is about making assumptions - being told something, assuming we know what the person is saying, thus not requesting any further information.

Last month, in one of the issues of Picture to Ponder, I described a walk in Wakodahatchee Wetlands and included photographs of dewdrops on the boardwalk railing plus wood knots on path. When I showed a passerby the bird in the photo below, she acknowledged

it, pointed out another and then proceeded to tell me that there is a "lion" on the boardwalk in a section of Green Cay Wetlands. She assured me that it is quite obvious and gave me an idea of the approximate location. Though I'd walked at Green Cay countless times, I had never seen it.

About a week later, I finally got to go looking for the "lion" in Green Cay. I went in the direction I had been told and as I started getting frustrated with not finding it, I realized I had never questioned/asked for any other guidelines or parameters other than location. "It can't be missed," she said. So I ASSUMED, "lion equals LARGE" and went looking for a wood knot that spanned several boards, a "large lion".

After walking beyond the point were I assumed it was, from the directions I had been given, I gave myself the choice - "Give up and go back (it was cold and I was jacketless) or start paying attention to other knots that might be catch your eye.

I chose the latter, thus Today's Photos -

The first wood knot to catch my eye is in the photo above. Once it caught my eye and I stopped, I saw the profile of a Viking-type image (orange face, full-furry collar and large white mitten on this right hand). Looking at it later, the "face" looks more like an animal face.

Then I was stopped by the scrunched up face I saw, above - around the eyes, no mouth - arrows point to the "face". Then I observed a different face when I looked at it from the side. Rather than relying on digital transformation, I moved my body to photograph it from a different perspective as shown below.

I continued on, found a "dragonfly" in another wood plank knot and today, going through my photos, noticed an ET figure, which brought a smile to my face.

I hope it, or whatever you see in the knot above, has you smile also.

The bottom line to the walk story is that I continued on to the exit, not having found the lion, but quite satisfied, after all, with my "finds."

When someone stopped me with the comment that I must be cold without a jacket, I told her that my involvement with the wood knots had kept me focused and warm. I then told her and her family my lion story and proceeded to share the wood knot photos I had taken.

As I was clicking through the photos, I suddenly heard, excitedly, "There it is!!!" I paused to look and, after a few seconds, I, too, saw the "Lion", reminding me of the "Cowardly Lion" in "The Wizard of Oz." (shown in the two photos above "ET")

Self-Reflecting Queries -
I started today's issue of Picture to Ponder writing about operating out of our immediate assumptions, never pausing the check them out. On a different level this has been a "Queries" theme in many past issues of Picture to Ponder. Mostly, they've been similar to:

"Where in your life have you assumed a particular meaning to what someone spoke, based all your future interactions around that, never having bothered to check it out?" I invite you to once again look at that question.

Also, based on my "story" today, I invite you to see if there are, or have been, directions in your life you are taking, or have, taken where you assumed you completely understood them when spoken, and never asked for further expansion or clarification.

If so, has it always worked for you? Can you see any kind of pattern? If not, are there simple measures you can put in place for yourself to remind you of questions you might want to ask?

Perhaps it is as simple as remembering this "lion" story.

And, as always, I'd love for you to post your comments on the blog. Did you immediately see the lion? What other images did you see in any of the photos?

Lastly, if you've been enjoying my "playing" with images, I invite you to join us in the upcoming

Through and from the Lens Point and Shoot Photo Course, 4 weeks, starting Tuesday evening, January 19th, or Wednesday morning, January 20th.

In this course you will be opening and expanding communication as you start seeing things you've never before noitced in your own world; get to make and share your own unique discoveries; learn to use your digital camera so it becomes your best friend, producing photos you're proud to share.

For more information see Through and From the Lens Course.

More on Assumptions -Synchrnonistically, my friend Adela Rubio yesterday wrote about assumptions and giving steps to check them out on her blog - See Shift Your Assumptions.

AND, a GREAT way to start the day, for 20 more days, is Adela's morning Conscious Energy Shifts Energizing call... fr*e*e to participate in or listen to for 24 hours before the next is posted.

Three More Upcoming Important Events in which I am participating -

1 - For those of you looking to start, expand and/or understand your blog better, I am reviewing Bea Fields 12-week Become a Blogging Maniac Course and highly recommend it for the completeness of both presentation and content.

2 - I am anxiously awaiting January 19th for the launch of my new friend Allison Maslan's book - Blast Off! The Surefire Success Plan to Launch Your Dreams Into Reality. Her contest has been extended to Jan 10. Grand Prize: 1-on-1 Life & Business Coaching Program worth $5,000! See Blast Off!

I am offering a REFLECTIONS bonus for this launch, including 30 Reflections Photos in a PDF slide show, plus a separate PDF with thumbnails and Queries for writing prompts.

To get a sense of what Allison offers you can read her thought-provoking, tip-filled article, Turn Your Passion into Prosperity. See Allison Article.

3 - Lastly for the Passionate Coaches, Healers, Consultants, Authors, and Service Professionals among you, on Monday, night January 12th, Suzanne Evans is offering a chock full of information call on "How I Stopped Traditional Salesy Marketing and Made Over Half a Million Dollars: Make 2010 Your Year to Stop Selling and Start Sharing".

I have gotten value from both of her calls that I was on and have excitedly committed to attend her 3-day live BE THE CHANGE EVENT in Fort Lauderdale, FL in February. It's not often that live courses are available for me in practically in my "backyard".

Listen in on Monday night, January 12th, at no cost, as Suzanne shares her big "ah-ha" that took her from struggling to 6 figures. See Suzanne Evans Call.

Reader's Comments are welcome.
To post them on the Photography and Transformation blog click on the small word "Comment" at the end of the post. A window will open, asking for your name, email address that will NOT be published, a URL if you have - Your name will be linked to that - and a box with space for you to "Leave a Reply" will be there to type in your response. Then remember to click on "Submit."

If posting on a blog is not your style, please continue to send your comments directly to me. Learning what you are experiencing means a lot. It is part of the reward, for me, of publishing Picture to Ponder.

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Inspirationally,


Sheila
sheila[a]picturetoponder.com
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© 2005-09 Sheila Finkelstein
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