SunShine Dialogues: Observations

Observe the Tree

Observation:

(c) Nick Grimshawe

The other morning while walking the dogs on a part of the trail which runs through a stand of trees, I heard a lot of chirping bird calls. These where not the typical calls I hear as I stroll through this part of the walk. Alerted I looked up to see two very large bald eagles sitting on a limb of a tree and another one flying about nearby. Several crows and robins were calling back and forth as a ‘heads up guys trouble in the neighborhood’, warning.

Just being open, listening to sounds, to any changes in nuances, should alert you to something different, something new. When you take a walk, looking for what is new today focuses your senses.

We need constantly ask ourselves what is different.

Our minds are geared to the familiar. It is our navigation system, our way finding. We take notes of familiar landscapes, familiar landmarks along our path. It could be our dive to work and back. We don’t always know the names of the streets we turn onto or off of. We just think, okay there’s the green house where I turn left, and okay there is the huge maple tree, I turn right now, and yes there’s the overpass I need to get over to take the exit ramp. All that short of thing is key to recognizing where we are going. Don’t get me wrong, they are necessary, But then when we’ve done a commute a hundred times we’re on automatic, we don’t think about the landmarks anymore, we follow them on autopilot. Turn here; left there, move over about here to get the exit ramp. A very small fraction of our mind is taken up with this navigation task now.

Very little newness or creativeness goes into the process, you are using your train of familiar landmarks, and your mind needs those guideposts. But you also need to stop and go, okay, lets play a game today, what can I spot that is different on my commute. What can I see that is different then look for something that you have never seen before even though you have done this commute 270 days a year, for five years now. And you will be amazed at what you see, what you observe, the things you will see that you didn’t even know existed. Its awesome, it’s a matter of training to observe, learning to look for something new, you don’t need to worry about the landmarks; you’ve mastered them long ago. Don’t take my word for it, try it the next time you drive a long familiar route.

Think about when you started a new route, you’ve moved to a new location, or you’ve changes jobs. You have to find a new route to work. Well for the first few days, you are observing things, looking at things, developing your list of familiar bookmarks. You’re going, well there’s that big white house where I turn right and oh, look at that park, I’ll have to bring the family here on Saturday, oh maybe if I go down this street it will cut over to the freeway here and it’ll be quicker. Those first few days are about discovery, newness, learning the landmarks, it’s exciting and new. However, it doesn’t stay that way because the landmarks become automatic. You settle into a new routine. It’s not something to be ashamed off or embarrassed about; it’s just something to be aware of. Your mind works like that, as if there is only so much newness it can take. On your commute or on your walk look to see what’s new today? Try to see what’s different, what’s changed since you last came this way. Attempted to find changes. Make a conscious decision to look for the newness all around you. Your missing so much if you don’t do that if you just accept the view as you have always seen it, then nothing about that view can change. It’s like a picture; you just go back and look at the picture, you don’t look at what is in front of you. And we need to do that. Train yourself to observe.

The Green and Golden Way

Just as an example, I looked at a mountain that looms large in my walk every day. Today I noticed something different. The mountain appears to slope upward, even out just a bit and then rise up some more. Today when I really looked at the mountain searching for something different my eyes stopped at the place where that slope evens out. I noticed then that, what I thought was a temporary level area before the slope resumed, was actually a huge flat mesa you could land a big plane on. This flat area extended along the curve of the mountain and represented a considerable area of land. Suddenly I wanted to go up there and get a better view.

The difference can be as simple as the way the light plays across the mountain slope,or something more complex like the change in texture of leaves as they go from summer to fall.

Up here in beautiful British Columbia my slightly bias opinion is that I live in God’s country, but it really doesn’t matter where you live. I have always had an appreciation of nature, a trait that runs though my whole family. My Dad had my granddad had it? We all have it. Beauty can be as simple as a narrow lane over-arched with trees on a sunny day. However, if you drive along the lane every day you tend to stop seeing it. In order to find beauty you need to look for it and that holds true for anything. If you want peace and tranquility you need to look for it, it might be right under your nose.

In England where I spent a few of my formative years tradition dictated a Sunday walk. The whole family went. You’d wander down hedgerows, cross over styles, and walk the headlands of fields. Some where along the way would be a rest stop at a pub? Dad or Granddad would go in to buy us a sandwich and a fizzy orange drink and we’d sit outside while the of-age folk went in for a pint. Then the walk would resume in a long leisurely round about circle back home.

Here we have this spectacular walk with the most amazing scenery; I hardly ever meet anyone on this walk. It’s a dike up above the valley field s that runs southwest then turns in a westerly direction and curves around the contour of the farm land below. On the other side is a river that runs down to the might Fraser, and all around me are these spectacular mountains. We occasionally meet an individual out walking their dog; we met a group of people five people on our first trek and that is the biggest group of people we’ve ever seen. Every chance we get we go out their with the dogs, and we see no one, which is great, but at the same time a little sad.

One of the best books I know to help improve your observational skills is “How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci” by Michael J Gelb. I highly recommend the book to you. As a straight read the book would delight you, however if you are serious, do the drills and exercises. Get out that Journal I continue to refer to. Take notes, observe, and try your hand at sketching. I couldn’t draw worth a penguin in the tropics, but I surprised myself because the art of drawing in all in very close observation. Follow the link below to order your copy today.

Walk in the Sunshine. Be a Sun, shine!

Nick Grimshawe

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