I awoke last Friday to the first snowfall of the season — unusually late for Minnesota. If you happen to live anyplace where the temps dip into the lower register and stay there for long stretches, you know the first snowfall heralds the season of marathon commutes. If you listen carefully, I swear you can hear the entire working community dropping F-bombs.
But this year’s wintery arrival is different for me. My perspective has changed.
For the first time, I’m working from an office in my home. Now, I can simply admire the beauty of the whiteness out my window rather than cursing the inevitable hour-long commutes I endured in the past.
It’s inspiring. How often do we allow what’s directly in front of us to shape our thoughts and perceptions? Do we allow the immediate to inform our reality? Inspiration can come from shifting our perspective and intentionally seeing past the obvious.
Take another look —
Inspiration can come from distilling complexity. From blending dramatically different vantage points to create a rich and unified perspective.
Inspiration can come from stillness. Slowing long enough to take in different viewpoints. Daring to look in a different direction while others are focused elsewhere. Filtering noise and experiencing the raw and simple beauty in our surroundings.
Photo: P. Kittilstved — Thomas Lake Park
And sometimes inspiration is unavoidable — an event created by the work of others that’s so marvelous, we have no choice but to stop and stare. How did they create the work? What inspired them? How did they overcome obvious challenges or complexities? Seemingly impossible; marvelously inspiring.
Photo: P. Kittilstved — Facebook
Where do you find inspiration? When you’re looking for a different approach, another option, a different outcome — shift your perspective and see past the obvious. The inspiration you need to find an answer may be closer than you realize.
