It is December 29 and I am enjoying the last hour of a kayak trip on the Weeki Wachee River, a beautiful spring-fed river which flows into the Gulf of Mexico in west central Florida. As I glide through the crystal clear water which runs through a cathedral of trees, I turn my kayak around and look backwards at where I had been while continuing to drift downstream.
I am immediately struck by how different where I have been looks compared to what it looked like as I passed through with a focus forward. A different perspective changes how it all looks, it changes the light and the colors and the textures which surround me! And when I turn to face it fully and take it all in, I can admire many of the details I missed when I passed by the first time. And I can celebrate the richness and beauty of where I have been and be grateful for the experience!
But the shift in perspective also raises some questions about what happened during the time that passed before I looked back? Why did it pass so quickly with so little impact on me? Did I really use the time effectively? Did I focus on the right things? Did I have the right priorities? Are my priorities different now that I changed my perspective? And what can I learn from looking back on some of the experiences?
Perhaps I should reflect back more often, celebrate all of the moments and look at things from a different perspective so that I can take all of that into the next day, week or month of this wonderful journey called life!
Ideas for reflecting:
1. Keep a written journal of great moments
2. Create a visual journal of your experiences
3. Check your day against what you said was most important
4. Write down 5 things you are grateful for each day
5. Acknowledge three people for their contributions today
What do you do to capture the moments and take the learning forward?
