Ordinarily on a Wednesday, I would be participating in Wordless Wednesday where 200 plus bloggers post a picture, and then go around visiting and commenting (on this site you can leave a comment any time and get a link). It’s a wonderful way to meet other bloggers (I’ve met some great people that way).
I love playing “WW,” but, I just can’t shut up! Momma always said that was one of my biggest problems. If you don’t know that about me already, you can look at some of the Wordless Wednesdays I’ve posted. I also find the pace of the game too frantic for me. As I rush around trying to see everyone’s photos, I don’t really “see” any of them. I want to slow down, so I’ve decided to try something new for me. It’s called “Only The Good.”
My friend Marcia, and her friend Nancy J. Bond are two kind souls that I admire. They had the brilliant idea “to study a photograph and, no matter how mundane, ugly, or shattered the subject might be, find something good in the picture. Find only the good, and leave a comment.” Periodically, they post a picture and ask us to study it. I believe it is a worthy idea and I’ve decided to give it a whirl.
How often do we look at our world and only see the negative side of things? How often does that affect our own mood? If you are like me, it happens frequently throughout the day. How can we change that? I think that the way to change is to practice. So do Marcia and Nancy. Here is what they say about “Only The Good”:
“The purpose of this exercise is to get people to look at the world in a different way, to acknowledge–if only for the brief time they do this exercise–that there is good in everything and everyone…to briefly change shadow to light.”
This is the first of my adventures into seeing Only The Good. I’m asking you to study the photo below. I’m not a skilled photographer, so I don’t expect you to find any expertise in the photo. Look at it, and tell me the positive things you do see.
As my husband and I walked along a side street in downtown Denton, I saw this mushroom growing in the crack at the edge of the sidewalk. Amazingly, no one had kicked it to kill it and it had grown larger than the span of both of my hands. I took a picture of it, because I am fascinated by anything that can flourish despite the harshness of its environment. I see beauty in it. Tell me what you see.
Now that you have practiced seeing only the good in this photo, go into your own world and see the good around you. I hope some of you join me in this adventure.
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I do like the idea of wordless wednesdays… I think I might try to do the same with my webcomic… just draw, no explanation.
As for ‘seeing only the good’, I’m not capable of that, occupational hazard, but I do appreciate that there are people that can.
Ahhh, Adam. You’ve got to try to see the good! I don’t know your occupation, but that does sound hazardous. ~skt
The fact that the mushroom is still there, is a sign that others too see its beauty.
It’s growing there despite anyone tending to it or watering it – to me its a sign of how virile life really is, and that is a beautiful thing!
Yes, it is Sweet Tea. I hope it’s still there. I was going to walk by and check today, but was afraid I would be disappointed.~skt
When I see nature survive and flourish in situations where it shouldn’t – like your mushroom, or a tree on a side of a cliff where there is no dirt for it to take root, or one single flower in a burnt out area – it makes me remember that if these things can grow and flourish then I can surely take all the abundance that I’ve been given and grow. (Wow, that was a serious run on sentence.)
By the way, your color, lighting and composition are nice. For taking a picture of a mushroom, you did a good job.
Whoot! My favorite photographer said I did ok! That’s good! And, I agree with your thought about seeing nature survive. I saw the mushroom and thought of a bumper sticker I saw years ago: “Bloom where you are planted.” Good job of seeing the beauty, but then I knew you would.~skt
Whoa, “Bloom where you are planted” – I didn’t know that one, I love it. OK, I’m planted here right now, so let me bloom! Thank you for the link love, for taking on the cause today.
I see a photo that I would hang in my office to stare at when I need calming – the colors, the movement of the edges of the mushroom, and the shadows are peaceful to me. I see peace. This is the first beautiful mushroom I have seen.
And knowing where it was growing, I see survival.
You are already blooming, m’dear. You blossom with kindness (did you know that?) and you spread it’s seeds all over the blogosphere. You are welcome for the link love. I’ve been thinking about it for weeks, but trying to get my act together, you know~skt
I’m all for positive thinking – what a great idea, “Only the Good”; I may just have to have a go at this one!
I luv the ‘shroom pic! Life not only surviving, but thriving in the most basic of circumstances…a lesson there for us all.
This sidewalk was the most basic of circumstances, for sure! I hope you DO try Only the Good. It’s a fun exercise~skt
Oh, see and I like the rushed hecticness of Wordless Wednesdays! I had always liked other people’s and now that I’ve been giving it a try, I like the challenge of finding pictures that speak for themselves and I like to see how everyone else’s eyes see the world, too!!!
Well, besides being a big fan of mushrooms (not the hallucinatory kind), your picture has so many earthy colors and those are, by far, my favorites! I’m a huge fan of browns and peaches and greens!!!
(is that good enough or do I have to be even nicer?) LOL
This was fun. I’m going to head over to Nancy’s to read what she wrote about this!!!
Happy WW
Jessica The Rock Chick
You don’t have to be any nicer than that
I love mushrooms, too (not the hallucinatory kind!) and earthy colors. I would have figured you to love either primary colors or neon. I guess it’s just that Rock Chick persona, and my assumptions~skt
Birds of a feather! I Just wrote a post about my new photo system. 4 random photos in the sidebar every page refresh. Who needs Wordless Wednesday (and I can still yap!)
You don’t want WW for just the photos. You want to get to visit! I like your photo system
You did good again.~skt
I am a sucker for the natural in our concrete jungle. I see a perseverance in life and also rebirth from decay.
Good eyesight, Danielle! I think you’ve got the hang of this “Only The Good.”~skt
Sure is a good way to make sure one looks at the good side of things. Sounds fun. Not sure I can fit it in right now though. Sometimes I overfill my plate, but you already know that. Have a great day.
You ALWAYS overfill your plate! I don’t know how you do it all, and do it so well. Just keep making me laugh. That’s all you have to do~skt
Like you, in this photo, I see a life that refuses to give in to its less than ideal environment and thrives in spite of it. That alone is a good thing.
This photo is filled with Nature — tree bark, rock, stones, green leaves, and a fungus. All surviving symbiotically. There’s a lesson for humanity here.
I’m thrilled you’ve participated in Only The Good and I’ve happily added you to the sidebar on the OTG page.
I’m so glad that you made a whole website to carry on the idea! Thanks for visiting.~skt
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