The Mindful Path – Seeing the World Around You

Last weekend, my husband and I took our cameras on a trek to Fountain Square in Indianapolis. If you live in the area, it’s worth a trip to enjoy all the interesting things going on there. There’s a little bit of everything. Above is one of my favorite shots that I took.

Walking about with our cameras, we started with the simple shots – an interesting manhole cover, some beautiful trim around a door frame, figures around a fountain in a forever pose. The fine details came into view and were captured in the camera viewfinder. I began to notice more and more small things. Some glitter and shiny metallic shapes had been strewn across the sidewalk. I got down on my knees to try and get just the right shot to capture their sparkles against the matte texture of the sidewalk.

We wandered away from the retail shops and restaurants, and walked through some alleys off the side streets. Suddenly, a whole gallery of graffiti art and whimsical creatures emerged. It was even more beautiful because it was so unexpected. We kept walking and found more and more art that we would never have seen from the main streets. My husband and I silently exchanged smiles as we lifted up our cameras, trying to frame up just the right shots we wanted to take.

Here is a shot that captivated me:

I invite you to identify something like photography that speaks to you and your interests. When you immerse yourself in it and enjoy the moments, what do you notice? What do you appreciate most? What do your interests tell you about yourself and what you value? This week, I hope that you’ll have a chance to pay some attention to your personal mindfulness and enjoy where it takes you.

I’ll be back here again next month, where our topic for the second quarter will be “Mindfulness in Education.”