Day 19: Taken For Granted

 Day 19 of "21 Days of Distinction"

I take a lot of things for granted at times if I'm being honest. I'm often in a hurry; busy thinking about myself and my stuff most of the time. As a result, I miss things sometimes. I think this is true for everyone... again if we're being honest.

The problem with this is obvious. Inherent to taking things for granted is overlooking much that deserves a second or third look perhaps. So much out there and within here deserves our attention. It's only when we slow down enough to pause and pay attention, do we really begin to notice. And it's this noticing through increased awareness that the magnificence of life becomes apparent. This concept is the engine that drives my photography, and the foundation through which I communicate my messages. Pay attention to your attention.

The Way I See It: Attentive perception precedes effective communication.

I've driven by the old abandoned gas station above countless times over the years. Only when I really looked at it and saw it for what it could be, did this ordinary scene have the potential to become extraordinary. So finally, on one cold and rainy evening, I sat and waited and shot until I felt I captured what I saw in my mind's eye. What I actually ended up with is better than what I imagined. Funny how that frequently happens provided I do my part first...

The rhetorical questions now also become obvious: How many other people, places, and things in our lives deserve another look? What addtional value is truly there provided we actively observe?

Ensuing perception that evolves into perspective is what truly "seeing things" is all about.

And gaining perspective, rather than taking for granted, is the whole point.

→ Excerpt from the forthcoming book: "Seeing Things"... Passages of Perspective

©2010 Tom Leu