Recently, I woke up to another gray winter day in Halifax. Dreary or not, the dog still needed a walk. The view from our apartment reminded me of a moody black and white photo. Artsy, but bleak.
I told myself that at least it wasn’t cold and that helped propel me forward.
Off we went, no headphones, I like to be fully present when I walk.
I usually focus on nature when I’m taking the dog out. In the winter, it may be the beauty of the snow, the crisp air or an ice-covered tree branch.
When we lived in the Bahamas, it was birds, the blue sky, geckos or plethora of bright flowers. Thinking pink was easy – there were so many hibiscuses and bougainvillea. It was a quiet neighborhood, so the symphony of chirps and croaks often made me smile.
At the cottage in Ontario, the rustling of the birch trees and the view of the lake fills me with peace.
To help me shake the grayness of this day, I remembered an article I had just read on mindfulness. Focus on a colour, it said. I picked my childhood favourite, yellow. Forget about the grey slush, and look for anything yellow.
It’s everywhere – so many signs and protective coverings! Even the traffic lights obliged in my mental health version of “Eye Spy.” It even got me thinking, “soon there will be daffodils.”
When I chose to, I saw yellow everywhere. It didn’t seem gray anymore.
That’s the power of perspective.
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