Unusually, I’ve decided to start my post today with two images, instead of one. I’m steadily working my way through my photo libraries of pictures I’ve taken over the last couple of decades. I have, literally, tens of thousands of them. In fact, I’ve always been utterly daunted by the size of my image libraries and haven’t made any attempt to edit or organise them. But then the lockdown kicked in and I decided to create and share a post every single day. I reckoned that was one of the best things I could do in this current situation. There is so much uncertainty, fear, and negativity about that I thought one of ways I could respond to that was create and publish positive, inspiring and encouraging posts. My thinking was, and is, that the deliberate dissemination of positive waves might contribute to others, might provide some support and reassurance in these difficult times.
Two of the things I do a lot is take photographs and write. It’s a long time now since my blog evolved to have this consistent structure – each post created around one of my photos, plus an associated written reflection.
My experience of doing this continues to delight me. These daily posts have become something of an addiction. I’d find it difficult to miss a day now! Every day I edit and organise some photos in one of my photo libraries, and I download one of two of them which inspire me to write something. Then, each day I choose one of those downloads, pop it into a new post, take a little time to contemplate and reflect, then I write. From time to time, I hear from one of you, sending me a message of gratitude for a post I’d published and that, too, delights me, because it confirms for me that positive ripples can, indeed, travel right around the world.
Today I was thinking of using one of these two photos but wasn’t sure which one, then……guess what? Yep, I decided “And not or“, and popped them both in, because together they make a small sentence. Ok, not quite a sentence, but a small phrase…..
Whole hearted.
The half frosted leaf struck me as a natural yin yang symbol when I saw it, and it still has that power over me. Because the left half is frosted and white, where the right half has warmed up, lost its frost, and revealed its brown colour again, it really does speak to me of contrasts, opposites, and polarities, and of how all such things exist only in connection with their partners. The yin yang symbol is such a great symbol of wholeness. Of dynamic wholeness. I love it.
The shape which has appeared on this tree is typical of the way we draw a symbolic heart. I know we humans are good at spotting, or seeing, faces everywhere, but I think we are equally good at spotting, or seeing, hearts. The heart is a symbol of love, of soul, of deep feeling and commitment for us, isn’t it? “Heart felt”, “heart to heart”, “broken hearted”, “the heart of the matter”, are all phrases which reflect the place of the heart in the human psyche.
But, perhaps my favourite heart-connected phrase is “whole hearted”. That idea of “going all in”, of “fully committing”, of generosity, of love, of passion, of enthusiasm and desire. I’ve long since thought “why do anything in a half-hearted way?”
This is how I want to live my life.
Whole hearted.
Thankyou Bob, yet again for your beautiful uplifting post!
They are doing exactly as you intend and uplift me daily over here in Scotland.
I may not always post a comment, but today I wanted to stop by and say comment or no comment, I read your posts daily, they impact my life, and I am truly grateful for them and for you and the difference to make in this world.
I love you And not Or theme Bob that you have been sharing, and I completely agree… it’s a phrase I use often, as I feel we often live in such a binary culture!
I really appreciate the yin yang perspective on you leaf image, and as I read it and look at this image I’m drawn to it as an analogy of the human race … both these shades are the one and the same leaf…. both exits from the same roots and are one…. why would we treat them differently … this image , for me sums up what I’ve been thinking of this week.. there is only one race, the human race and rest… just a human construct thought up by people to gain power. May I use your image on my Instagram page Bob? Your image library must be astounding! And could fill many galleries… there’s an idea.. your welcome😉Wishing you well over there in France … Scotland hasn’t lost you, but France has certainly gained.
Hey thank you Bet for all these lovely words. I’m so pleased! Yes, please use any photo you want. I’ve made them all commons copyright – free to use with attribution.