Good Things Can Happen When You Pay Attention to the Everyday

A couple of weekends ago, my friend Cheri and I got together to hang out, and we couldn't think of anything we felt like doing.  Does that ever happen to you?  It sounds ridiculously silly as I'm sitting here typing it out, but it happens.  Maybe it's a Type A personality thing.  I feel like I'm always so busy, and sometimes when I finally make downtime for myself, I just can't think of anything to do that sounds that enticing.  I think part of it is feeling like because I only have so much time for fun, I absolutely must take full advantage of whatever time I have with only the most interesting adventures. It's not exactly something to complain about ("poor me, I just can't think of anything fun to do!"), but as Cheri and I sat at a coffee shop, attempting to make plans for the day, we both started to get frustrated.  Eventually we realized that we were trying too hard, and that we should just go outside and walk around.  We decided to grab our cameras, take a walk, and snap pictures of whatever we saw along the way (which ended up being the photos that you see here).  Going to cool places to take pictures is something that Robbie and I do often, but it's a little more challenging to step outside without a plan, and photograph things that you normally wouldn't even notice.  It ended up being a really fun afternoon, and it kind of forced us to stop and take a look around.  I'm one of those people who is always rushed and so easily distracted that I unintentionally ignore my surroundings.

The next time you can't think of anything fun to do, I highly recommend just taking a walk with your camera (or phone) and snapping some pics of the things you see.  You don't have to try to take technically perfect pictures.  You don't even need to try to seek out interesting things to photograph.  Instead, just focus on what's in front of you.  Even if you just venture down the street or into your backyard, you'll be surprised at the rad things you notice when you're paying attention.  It's a really great exercise in slowing down and being mindful.  I'm a pretty stressed out person by nature, and I spend a lot of time locked away in my house (much of it alone while my husband is on the road) working.  And I think the combination of these things causes me to fall into the habit of convincing myself that I need to fill my breaks or time off with only the most exciting activities.  But somehow, it usually seems to be these little, unexpected outings that leave the biggest mark.  They help me calm down and feel grateful, and I always end up feeling satisfied with the way I chose to spend my time.  Good things can happen when you pay attention to the everyday.

Photographs and top image design © Bubby and Bean.