If a picture paints a thousand words then what is the story of this one? I love this picture because for me it represents the best perspective on our lives. In the background is a house. It is not a new house. It is not a stereotypically beautiful house. It is just an old house sitting in a field. But the way the photographer has captured it is beautiful. It is our imagination which makes it beautiful. It is the fact we envision ourselves standing in this field of flowers and just beyond lies our imagined dream house.
The same is true of each of lives in reality. There are old buildings (be they places, people or possessions) off in the distance but in front of us is our field of dreams. This perspective is the one in which our hope lives. This vision is the one in which romance blooms. This view is the one that leads into a life we love to live.
So what about those days where we are in house under the broken rafters with the cold rain seeping in through the cracks? I am not sure what you do but I can tell you that I just put on a raincoat, grab my umbrella and continue about my day because tomorrow is a brand new day. Now I am not suggesting we ignore when our lives are not the sunniest. I am recommending that we remember the best and brightest outlook on our life to inspire ourselves to be the best we can be.
It is really not about our accomplishments, although those are also great gifts in our lives. The real satisfaction in life comes from living day to day, moment to moment in a spirit of building a life surrounded by people we love, doing things we enjoy and appreciating it while it happens.
I happened to be talking to a colleague the other day and he mentioned that his life always seemed so much better in photos. He said he would look at a photo and his memory of the event would be enhanced from the reality by the photo itself. I think the reason for this is twofold. Firstly our imagination adds colour and texture to our lives. Secondly, the small irritants of the moment are lost when we gaze at the photo. It dawned on me as he explained his perspective that the same is not true for me. I do not view my photos and recollect the moments as I wish they were. I recollect the moments as they really were and that is most likely the single biggest contributor to my happiness.
Today go out and enjoy the life you have. Do not miss the opportunities in your life by spending time wanting some future perfection of your life. Pay attention to the life you have in each moment of it. Only then can we make the choices to create the life we love to live. And if we do not choose it we will not create it. If you want to provide a litmus test then take some photos and see if the future you remembers what was or what you wished. The bridge between the two is shorter and easier to build than you may think.
