Mindfulness and Change

Change

This week I have chosen to reflect on change as I have been both buffeted by the winds of change and I am also making changes to key aspects of my life.

It is not coincidental that I used a weather metaphor to describe change. As I started to write this I was considering what simile I could use to compare to change. I decided upon the weather. It may be that you live in apart of the world where the weather is generally settled and predictable. Just for the sake of my simile imagine you live in the UK!

Why is change like the weather?

• It is reasonably predictable and yet we sometimes unaware of how it actually is. (Just this week I have noticed people wearing shorts and t shirts, because it was warm last week. Whilst it has been sunny this week, it was often cooler than 10°c)
• We often know what weather is coming, but we choose to ignore the warning signs and carry on regardless
• Sometimes it transforms so gradually over a few days that it is only when we are at the end point that we realise it has altered
• Sometimes it is entirely unexpected and may throw our plans and lives into disarray
• Sometimes it is just like the previous day, sometimes it is quite different. Sometimes it is just like the previous day, but we feel different about it
• Some weather we perceive to be ‘good’, other weather ‘bad’. ‘Bad’ weather may be essential. ‘Good’ weather may lead to drought. Our perception and understanding of what we are experiencing can itself change
• Above all there is a lot of it. It is a constant. We know that it will always be there, but we let that fact slip through our knowing sometimes

Change, mindfulness and photography

As you know I have embraced the idea that photography can be practised mindfully. And whilst I am currently sharing some of those practices via The Mindful Photographer I am also continuing to develop the concept.

This development has recently become more charged. What I mean is that the change in my life has made me realise (finally) that I need to embrace mindfulness in every aspect of my life. My relationships, my work and my play.

My recent health crisis was one of those life events that was predictable. I have a chronic health condition (swollen trachea and vocal chords) that affects my breathing and voice. What is most challenging is when I carry on regardless (of the weather!) and have an acute situation.

Upon reflection it was easy to see that by continuing to behave in a similar manner (i.e. as if I did not have a chronic condition) my body was not coping. The chronic and acute situations were affecting all aspects of my life: my relationships, my day to day living, my work…

Something had to change.

One key change is that I have released the Photential activities that were most stressful (workshops) and will be solely focussing on my online provision. My future blog posts will directly reflect my attempts to live a more mindful life, with particular reference to photography.

I will share ideas, wisdom, successes and failures. I will offer mindful photography practices for you to try and share your photos if you would like to share. Above all I will be open and authentic about what it takes to live a mindful life. Where possible I will reflect this in my photography.

Over the next few months I will be developing new learning materials that will continue the explorations of a Mindful Photographer. If you would like to get regular updates you can subscribe to the Photential Newsletter (bottom of this page). If you love the road I am following please share with your friends, and like my Twitter and Facebook pages (see the bottom of the page).

As Gandhi said, “You must be the change you want to see in the world”. You are the world. I am the world. Change starts here.

The diptych photos in this post are part of a set that explored using a visual metaphor for change.