Life is like a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.”

- Albert Einstein

You may have seen the recent article titled, 5 Tips for Energetic Spring Cleaning in Massage Magazine. Very timely article as we too have been thinking about ways to clear out the cobwebs, the whole point being, to refresh our perspective and look at the world around us with a more enlightened, vital point of view.

So once you’ve cleared the decks and freshened up your space what else can you do to stay invigorated? We’re often surprised by how effective it can be to simply refocus the search for inspiration. The reality is, you never know when or where you will find inspiration; it’s not always like chasing a balloon.

Look at Albert Einstein. He was toiling away as a humble patent clerk in 1905; riding a bus to work one day when he glanced out the window at a medieval clock tower in Bern that he had probably walked by hundreds of times. Long story short – from that singular, everyday, unplanned experience, he evolved his now famous theory of relativity.

Sure, it’s easy for friends or family to say, go on a trip or get out of town – who wouldn’t enjoy the fun of that? But if that’s not an option and you’re still feeling blocked, there’s something to be said for taking a different look at what’s around you. Indeed, it is possible to cope with issues that may make you feel like you’re burnt out or running in place but not getting anywhere by just taking a different look at everyday sights.  Even the ordinary and the everyday can be made to seem newer, fresher . . . more interesting.

Consider this. You’ve probably heard the statistic that most accidents happen within 5 miles of your home; why not just flip this into a positive and see if you can find something quotidian within 5 miles of home that invites further exploration . . . the process can be quite fun and liberating!

Example: One day, I was riding my bike on a quiet street, taking in the sights and smells of the season. I saw an absolutely beautiful red maple leaf on the road, a discard from a nearby tree.  Not sure why, but this leaf on the asphalt just struck a chord with me and so I pulled a U turn, set my bike aside and just walked around the leaf taking photos of it from different angles, using one of my smartphone photo apps.  I could have just wheeled on by that leaf, but instead of zooming on, I took my time to pause and just concentrate on that one red leaf (images included here).

So keep moving, even if it just means a walk around your neighborhood, taking in everyday sights and sounds, but keeping your eyes peeled for something special, something extraordinary in the ordinary . . . Clear out that brain fog and view the everyday with fresh eyes!

- Jan, one of the TFT community scribes

P.S.  Tip:  If you ‘re a picture-taking fanatic like me, you may enjoy sharing what you shoot with AND deriving inspiration from the Instagram community. Pix here taken using Hipstamatic.