Brightness

We've had an unbelievably rainy summer this year. It's raining again today in fact. I don't mind it. But I have to say, it does make the sunny days stand out as bright and special. Yesterday I was in New York with my daughter visiting a friend of a friend who is an architect for a huge realty firm. We were at the top of one of the city's fabulous towers with tremendous 360 degree views and the gorgeous day made it even more spectacular. We had lunch in one of the city's airy atriums. Then of course we went shopping. Small stores and my favorite -- Macy's. It was a memorable day.

Coming home, I went over to the lake to capture the light that was so gorgeous and I take back everything I've said about end-of-August muckiness. There were gorgeous views everywhere and so now instead of seeing the overgrowth, I see abundance. For me, I realize that a bright perspective leads to positive thinking and expansive interpretations of events. Then, because everything's cylical we come right back to perspective. Brightness influences a cyclical upward perspective spiral that leads to seeing abundance rather than disorganized mess, and challenging situations become beginnings or opportunity doors rather than endings or dead-end walls.

More simply, the day was beautiful, and here are some lake photos that are bright reminders of what is really always around us.

Outstanding

I've recognized the idea that was struggling to come to the surface. Though the entire lake is often a breathtaking vista, there are seasons, cycles, occassions where some areas of it are not. While I have some obligation as a citizen of this town to make sure that we pay attention to maintenance, upkeep and improvement, I don't have to focus on the things that are wrong. I can acknowledge the condition, but spend more time with what is pleasing to me. Maybe it's a type of natural selection. What you pay attention to becomes your reality. Thoughts become things. It's OK to focus on the outstanding.

That sentence is a paraphrase of one of my father's favorite life lessons: "It's OK to be outstanding." He meant a lot of different things by that, and I thought I knew what he meant, but I was always uncomfortable because I wondered what happened if you weren't outstanding. The thing is, by definition, you can always be outstanding. He did not say be perfect, he did not say make sure others recognize you're outstanding, he said be outstanding. And that can be accomplished every day, and you can recognize it in others every day. So here are today's postings of what I found to be outstanding aspects of Pompton Lake on August 25, 2009. And thanks Dad.

Swan Lake, early morning May 9

Swan Log - May 9