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Dear ,
Coming up on a holiday weekend here in the United States, today's Picture to Ponder photos and videos are meant to offer you relaxation, as well as joy in experiencing Nature. Have a meaningful weekend, whatever you are up to.
Today's Picture to Ponder Photos and Videos -
For Videos of the Moving Stream, Click on the Photos Above
A moving stream on the beautiful, mountainous grounds of Camp Ramah Darom, Clayton, GA
I invite you to momentarily be with each of the above photos. Is there a difference in energetic feeling for you between the horizontal and vertical images?
Generally speaking, horizontal is found to be more restful and vertical more active or dynamic.
In this case for me, I love the horizontal photo. Then insofar as the videos go, the vertical feels much more open and inviting.
Today's Picture to Ponder Story _
Last weekend I visited my grandson at Camp Ramah Darom, a Jewish camp steeped in ritual practices, as well as an amazing Art program, climbing and ropes courses and much more. It was a totally new experience for me and I was not familiar, for the most part, with a lot of what transpired in relation to the many religious services. Even the directions for pages to read in the prayer book were in Hebrew.
And, with it all it was an incredible experience, being with my grandson and all of the campers, counselors and staff. It was totally a space of love and community, both being universal languages.
So "What," you may be asking, "does this have to do with the photos and Picture to Ponder?"
Totally unrelated to any of the above,
I found myself in an experience on Sunday morning that tapped into the depths of fear I never knew I had - mostly about "aloneness". I went for a steep walk, alone, to see a waterfalls mentioned in the literature.
On the way up, in part having been cautioned by a camper to "be careful; sometimes it gets slippery," I started remembering the times I've twisted an ankle, fallen, and the "stories" I started telling myself continued from there. Bottom line, near the end, I got paralyzed with fear, legs actually trembling while standing still.
When I finally got back down, I immediately settled in observing the above stream. Instantly, I was breathing normally and only then recalled, had I remembered to do some deep breathing I might have been fine much sooner. Deep breath in .... Hold... Relax ... breathing out.
Now to remember this in the future, actually as a daily practice.
(Note: It was a wide path and nowhere along it was there a place or close edge where there would be a "danger" of accidentally getting too close and falling.)
Self-Reflecting Queries -
In addition to the fear I've shared above, I could also now dwell in the "fears" of what people might think about what I wrote. We can live in the stories we tell ourselves, the ones that also come out of fears of possibilities of physical danger and then there are those emotional ones, fears of being alone, not being liked, and I'm sure you can name a bunch more.
For today, I invite you to look into your life. Is there a fear that you can identify which is holding you back, perhaps "paralyzing" you? If so, can you determine what factor or factors are influencing it? Are there other interpretations that you can give to the fear that will free you up? And/or, are there actions you might take, such as the breathing I mentioned, that might create a shift for you?
As always, have fun, and please share on the blog what comes up for you.
Creating and Stopping -
 The very first of my projects that warranted a business name were my Fantasy Landscape Watercolors, which became part of the project to fulfill on requirements for my Master's Degree in Creative Arts Education. I named my business Nature's Treasures Interpreted, since I was using objects from nature that I loved and interpreting them into scenes.
Creating pictures using items from Nature was something I initially did with my students when I taught art in the elementary school. I ultimately expanded the activity into my own work. The same/similar process of seeing in the execution of these paintings is the start of the thread you now experience in Picture to Ponder.
Yesterday, I discovered that the Nature's Treasures Interpreted site was not showing up on the Internet and became aware of some of my fears that had me oblivious to this. So I am including a link to the site now so that those who wish may enjoy the experience of being with these paintings.
I also invite you to once again look into your own life - Do you now see any areas where fear is holding you back?
Taking Action - Today, July 1, was the first day of Michael Neill's Creating the Impossible, Transforming Your World in 30 days. In
 the introductory call this morning Michael coached on choosing a project that were it to be completed one would be in a "WOW, I did that?!" state. It is an amazingly well thought out and executed program with a lot of community support. The first call was recorded for those who missed it. There are also daily 2 to 5 minute recorded messages from Michael, plus much more.
Michael is an internationally renowned success coach and the best-selling author of You Can Have What You Want, Feel Happy Now!, the Effortless Success audio program and Supercoach: 10 Secrets to Transform Anyone's Life. There will be another live, interactive call with him at the end of the program and there are twice weekly, optional hourly check-in calls led by members of his team.
I am still in the process of formulating my own Impossible Project, looking through the lens of what stops me. If you are interested in the possibility of getting in action on something new that would light you up, I invite you to check out the details on CTI in 30 DAYS. I'd love to "play" with you and if you and others wish, we might connect in our own sub group. Simply email me, should this be of interest to you.
Reader's Comments are welcome -
To post them on the Photography and Transformation blog click on the small word "Comment" at the end of NY 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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DISCLOSURE: From time to time, in Picture to Ponder, I include information on products and programs for which I may derive a small commission. This is what helps defray my publishing costs. I will only promote products and services of people with whom I'm familiar and in whose programs I've participated. |
Inspirationally,
Sheila
sheila[a]picturetoponder.com
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© 2005-11 Sheila Finkelstein
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