I like this point you make James: "Reframe negatives as positive. It might feel like mental gymnastics, with time it won’t." This is a great practice and I like to use this idea as well. Excellent images and thanks for sharing.
Thank you Neil. It's a great practice but it takes just that: practice. The more I do it the more I find myself taking an almost game-like mentality to it. "Okay, that's not great...but let's find reasons why it is."
What a palette in this post! The oranges are sublime. Love the colors and the sentiments. Is there something about silhouetted birds that make one pensive? Maybe because it's an opportunity to enjoy the presence without hustling to make an identification
Thank you Nate. I love bird silhouettes almost as much as birds well lit enough to ID! It is nice to have the option taken away. Herring? Ring-billed?? Who cares, just pretty.
Beautiful post, James. The warmth and the glow of the photos resonates well with the writing, like the great existentialists, that you can’t change what happened but you can change your attitude toward it.
Thank you, Heidi. Everything is about attitude. It takes some practice and feels silly at first—like you’re trying to sell yourself a fiction—but it’s possible to see any negative as a positive.
Definitely part of the process. At the start, I’d think to myself: grow up, stop trying to find good in an objectively bad thing. Over time I’d just find the good and not worry about it.
When I was young, I started reading from a lot of different spiritual traditions and from psychology, among everything else. I found Viktor Frankl's work really important. He talked about meaning as a response to when life calls out to us.
There are 12 images with captions, if I counted correctly, so if this post was to be put in some physical form the first thought would be a calendar, which would be a shame, because calendars are put aside after the year, and I would think that one would want to keep a pocket copy, for meditative perusal in odd moments. A few more images and captions and they could be folded up accordion style as a codex, perhaps even with Velcro outer covers so the set of images and ideas could be read in a circle, continuously.
Realistically I should do more with my photos. I planned to start an online store where i could sell things like calendars. It would make it easier to justify having the absurd amount of files I do. Just haven’t done it! Thank you Jackson.
Oh I love this. All of it, and especially highlighting the bit about how it can feel like mental gymnastics at first to reframe negatives into positive, but in time it won't - yes! It's all just habit, grooves and such. That there can be genuine reframing, where we authentically feel better through a perspective that is real and true to us. And when we feel better, flow returns.
Thank you Emma. Mental gymnastics just mean the mind is being retrained to think in a different way. Like with literal gymnastics, at first it’ll seem like “what am I doing?” but then you’ll just do it and it’ll feel natural.
This is true, our greatest losses can be our greatest gain- depending on how we choose to deal with them. And in truth a man who has never faced adversity, and overcome it internally, is not a full-grown man, but an untried puppy.
I like this point you make James: "Reframe negatives as positive. It might feel like mental gymnastics, with time it won’t." This is a great practice and I like to use this idea as well. Excellent images and thanks for sharing.
Thank you Neil. It's a great practice but it takes just that: practice. The more I do it the more I find myself taking an almost game-like mentality to it. "Okay, that's not great...but let's find reasons why it is."
Beautiful post, James. Thank you.
Beautiful pictures and very encouraging words. 🙏
Thank you, Tara.
This is very beautiful, and valuable. Thank you.
Thank you, Julia
What a palette in this post! The oranges are sublime. Love the colors and the sentiments. Is there something about silhouetted birds that make one pensive? Maybe because it's an opportunity to enjoy the presence without hustling to make an identification
Thank you Nate. I love bird silhouettes almost as much as birds well lit enough to ID! It is nice to have the option taken away. Herring? Ring-billed?? Who cares, just pretty.
I should do more twilight birding!
So clear and wise, thank you James.
p.s. I saw some frozen resurrection fern on my hike yesterday. Truly beautiful in that state of suspended animation.
Thank you Ann. Frozen ferns, two wonderful parts of nature working together to create beauty!
Beautiful post, James. The warmth and the glow of the photos resonates well with the writing, like the great existentialists, that you can’t change what happened but you can change your attitude toward it.
Thank you, Heidi. Everything is about attitude. It takes some practice and feels silly at first—like you’re trying to sell yourself a fiction—but it’s possible to see any negative as a positive.
You're right about that, James, it does feel like that. It's kind of counter-intuitive, but that's also part of the process.
Definitely part of the process. At the start, I’d think to myself: grow up, stop trying to find good in an objectively bad thing. Over time I’d just find the good and not worry about it.
When I was young, I started reading from a lot of different spiritual traditions and from psychology, among everything else. I found Viktor Frankl's work really important. He talked about meaning as a response to when life calls out to us.
Beautifully spoken, James. I love your positive outlook on life, especially considering where you are coming from. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much for reading, Aria.
Birders have inspired me to follow their wisdom. Thank you so much for your wisdom, Mr. Freitas.
Thank you for reading, Gary.
There are 12 images with captions, if I counted correctly, so if this post was to be put in some physical form the first thought would be a calendar, which would be a shame, because calendars are put aside after the year, and I would think that one would want to keep a pocket copy, for meditative perusal in odd moments. A few more images and captions and they could be folded up accordion style as a codex, perhaps even with Velcro outer covers so the set of images and ideas could be read in a circle, continuously.
Realistically I should do more with my photos. I planned to start an online store where i could sell things like calendars. It would make it easier to justify having the absurd amount of files I do. Just haven’t done it! Thank you Jackson.
Lovely photographs. Truly thoughtful and inspiring. Thank you.
Thank you so much
Oh I love this. All of it, and especially highlighting the bit about how it can feel like mental gymnastics at first to reframe negatives into positive, but in time it won't - yes! It's all just habit, grooves and such. That there can be genuine reframing, where we authentically feel better through a perspective that is real and true to us. And when we feel better, flow returns.
Thank you Emma. Mental gymnastics just mean the mind is being retrained to think in a different way. Like with literal gymnastics, at first it’ll seem like “what am I doing?” but then you’ll just do it and it’ll feel natural.
This is true, our greatest losses can be our greatest gain- depending on how we choose to deal with them. And in truth a man who has never faced adversity, and overcome it internally, is not a full-grown man, but an untried puppy.
Yes, some adversity is a part of being fully formed. There’s no satisfaction in looking back on a life entirely devoid of turbulence. Thank you, Mary.
Great article and photos James. Food for thought.
Thank you for reading, Sandra.
A rewarding read from beginning to end. Thank you, James
Thank you, Gary. I am glad you found it rewarding.