“Deer” Reader

Gold + Grain Photography

Have you ever experienced a moment in nature and once you started to pay attention realized how rare of a moment it truly was? One of these amazing situations happened yesterday. I had gotten Ella settled downstairs—slightly annoyed because she had been having a bit of a rough morning. I walked up the stairs and there was movement outside the dining room window. I walked up to the window to get a closer look and two beautiful deer were walking in between the houses. With the snow and their white tails, it was awe-inspiring. I called for Ella to come upstairs, and she was gobsmacked. Completely elated by the sight, she asked if they were reindeer. We stood side by side watching for a minute or two. At one point one of them turned and it seemed like she was looking right at us. Then the other one walked right up to the neighbor’s front door, literally nose touching the glass viewing her reflection. I thought to myself, this is such an incredible moment to witness. I contemplated grabbing my phone so I could show my husband later. I decided to be in the here and now.

I chose to take my frustrating morning and shift my focus on the overwhelming beauty around us—all the time if we open our eyes to it. Shift our perspectives from the things driving us crazy and try to find the good in each moment, even when that seems difficult. This three-minute event could have been something I missed. I could have seen the deer and kept walking to my kitchen, irritated with my growing to-do list and lack of time. Instead, I was able to excitedly celebrate seeing deer in my neighbor’s yard. It’s the simple joys that we are supposed to enjoy on this journey. Don’t squander your gift today. Choose to have a positive perspective. Your attitude and outlook about everything is a choice. It’s the only thing you have control over, choose wisely. Because what you choose is what you will get.

I am currently reading, A Year of Positive Thinking by Cyndie Spiegel. I have linked it below. One of the recent entries explained an old anecdote and the power of your attitude. The story goes that a woman asks what type of people are in this gated community and the man on the other side asks her what type of people are in her current community. She responds by telling the man they are mean, nasty, rude, and shortsighted. He tells her she will find the same people in his community. Later another woman walks up and asks the man the same question and he responds with the same question he asked the previous woman. She responds by saying the people in her community are kind, loving, authentic, and good. He responded by saying she would find the same people there. The moral of the story is that we often find exactly what we believe we will. So, let’s work together to shift our perspective and find the beauty in each day.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and as always, happy reading!