focus, illustrated.

i've been thinking about focus and depth of field lately.

sometimes (most of the time) life is hard. trials pop up like thorny briars. when i can't see past them i feel discouraged, pain, discomfort, and frustration. my depth of sight and perspective is so shallow.

something phenomenal happens when i am able to refocus. in my view without moving at all, i can see the possibilities, the potential of where i could be, what i could enjoy. the thorns are still there, but suddenly they are less relevant because i can see past them. also, i am able to see a way out. of course there are more thorns ahead, but suddenly i see the whole picture. the view is amazing and i become excited about life again because i see what it can be, what it really is, actually.

i still have to work through my "thorns," just being able to see past them doesn't make them go away. it does give me the ability to hope, and without hope it is too easy to sit down and give up. isn't it interesting that all that's needed at first is a shift in focus? and it would be a shame to miss out on whatever this photo-metaphor translates into reality as.

sometimes though, i need a rest period. it's overwhelming to look so far ahead. it's okay if i need a while to hang my head. the problem with that though is it's easy to only see how messy and ugly things are where i stand.

even in the mess and ugliness of wherever i might be at the time, there is always beauty, there are always small blessings. all i have to do is change my focus to see them, to notice.. because they are there:

last night i went here because i needed to refocus:

before i left, i saw this (it's the windshield of the car, covered in dust and imperfections in the glass. who knew glass and dirt could be so beautiful):

i saw this before i drove away:

and before i got home, i saw this:

no matter what is going on in your life right now, look for beauty in the mess around you. it's there.

:)