Pursuit versus Creation

Happy Wednesday! Today's image was taken from below a Cherry Blossom tree branch at sunrise. This is what the blossoms look like as the rising sun adds a pink hue to the white flowers.

To complement this upside-down perspective of a Cherry Blossom, here's a different way of seeing happiness as posed by organization expert Rivka Caroline on Twitter this morning:

Some people are so busy *pursuing* happiness that they forget the tremendous inner power they have to *create* happiness ....
— Rivka Caroline (@SoBeOrganized) April 24, 2013

So our challenge today is to stop the pursuit and start creating more happiness in our lives. Now, go forth and create!

Opportunity in Every Difficulty

In times of turmoil like this week with Boston and now West, Texas, I've always turned to the crafty wisdom of the great Sir Winston Churchill for inspiration. For most situations, there's always a Churchill quotation that will provide guidance and support.

The Churchill quote that accompanies today's image is one of my favorites. It's Churchill's take on glass half-full or half-empty debate.

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

When challenges and crises arise in our lives and communities, we must band together and collectively look for the opportunities in the difficulties. We need to find more silver linings.

If we all just hold our heads and bemoan life's difficulties and unfairness, we are embracing pessimism and dooming ourselves to keep swimming in circles like these ducks in the Tidal Basin.

A New Marathon

So many people have shared such profound thoughts and reflections following the Boston Marathon tragedy.

I'm not sure what I would like to contribute to this conversation yet, so here's what musician (and awesome human being) Will Dailey shared on his Facebook page on Tuesday. It's poetic and beautiful like his music.

A new marathon began when the sun came up in Boston Tuesday morning.

Marathon: An event or activity that requires prolonged effort.

And so we begin. Running now with our own two weary legs but all of us are side by side. As a city, as a country and as a global community. A people. Fueled by our individual will and the collective sideline encouragement composed of those who love us: our family, friends, community and world.

Violence is the scream of ideas without merit. It fails the moment it is conceived. We in Boston, in the United States, experienced Monday what is too common in other countries. But, as it is in other places, there is more good than bad in the world. The bad can be loud as hell but the good is plentiful with the endurance of a million marathon runners.

One year from now we will be having another race. There will be a classic Red Sox game. We will remember the lost who will become stones in the architecture of our hearts. We will tend the raw wounds. We will honor heroes. We will run and we will finish and we will fall into each other’s arms.

We are in a new marthon [sic]. With a city and people that have the legs for infinite miles.

Good Outnumber You and We Always Will

Today's thought comes courtesy of comedian and actor Patton Oswalt. On his Facebook page, he posted the message below in response to tragic events at the Boston Marathon yesterday. He says everything I would have said today, and more.

I've reread his remarks many times this morning. We all should.

I remember, when 9/11 went down, my reaction was, "Well, I've had it with humanity."

But I was wrong. I don't know what's going to be revealed to be behind all of this mayhem. One human insect or a poisonous mass of broken sociopaths.

But here's what I DO know. If it's one person or a HUNDRED people, that number is not even a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a percent of the population on this planet. You watch the videos of the carnage and there are people running TOWARDS the destruction to help out. (Thanks FAKE Gallery founder and owner Paul Kozlowski for pointing this out to me). This is a giant planet and we're lucky to live on it but there are prices and penalties incurred for the daily miracle of existence. One of them is, every once in awhile, the wiring of a tiny sliver of the species gets snarled and they're pointed towards darkness.

But the vast majority stands against that darkness and, like white blood cells attacking a virus, they dilute and weaken and eventually wash away the evil doers and, more importantly, the damage they wreak. This is beyond religion or creed or nation. We would not be here if humanity were inherently evil. We'd have eaten ourselves alive long ago.

So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, "The good outnumber you, and we always will."

Happy Jackie Robinson Day

Today is Jackie Robinson Day. If you haven't seen the film "42" yet, take yourself and your family and friends to see it this evening in his honor.

In honor of this special day, today's thought comes from the legendary baseball player himself:

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."

While baseball may be just a sport, Robinson's courage and perseverance to become the first black player in Major League Baseball not only opened the doors for people of color in the world of professional sports, but in other public roles and occupations as well.

Robinson and other civil rights trailblazers not only desegregated baseball, they also helped to "desegregate" the minds of many Americans. He taught America how to see people of color differently than they had before -- by their ability and contribution to society and not merely by the color of their skin

Ready to Pop

Californian and conservationist John Muir once said:

When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.

While I think most of us have accepted the interconnectedness of our lives to each other, we still disregard nature's own interconnectedness.

All life -- even plant and wildlife -- makes up a fragile web of connections. This truth is so obvious when observing the Cherry Blossom trees in bloom.

Cherry Blossom flowers are so fragile flower when blooming. A gust of wind, raindrops or even disrespectful tourists can end a cherry blossoms' life.

Spring is our annual reminder of nature's connection to people and our entire environment. I just hope we pay better attention this time and become better stewards of this precious planet. If we don't maintain our relationships with nature, who knows how those tugs will unravel our world.

Early Light

As I discussed in an earlier blog post, I'm participating in the Out of the Darkness Overnight Walk in June to raise funding and awareness of suicide prevention.

While finding content to include on my fundraising page, I came across a Rascal Flatts song I was unfamiliar with, but very relevant to this cause. I've always loved Rascal Flatts, and I was surprised that I didn't recall ever hearing this one before.

"Why" is written from the perspective of someone who is trying to understand why a loved one completed suicide. It's lyrics are powerful, and will be an essential song on my walk playlist in June.

"Why"
Performed by Rascal Flatts
You must have been in a
Place so dark
You couldn't feel the light
Reachin' for you through
That stormy cloud
Now here we are
Gathered in our little hometown
This can't be the way
You meant to draw a crowd

Oh why, that's what I keep asking
Was there anything I could've
Said or done
Oh, I had no clue you were
Masking
A troubled soul, God only knows
What went wrong and why
You would leave the stage
In the middle of a song

Now in my mind I'll keep you frozen
As a seventeen-year-old
Rounding third to score the
Winning run
You always played with passion
No matter what the game
When you took the stage
You'd shine just like the sun

Oh why, that's what I keep asking
Was there anything I could've
Said or done
Oh, I had no clue you were
Masking
A troubled soul, God only knows
What went wrong and why
You would leave the stage
In the middle of a song

Now the oak trees are swaying
In the early autumn breeze
A golden sun is shining on my face
Through tangled thoughts
I hear a mockingbird sing
This old world really ain't that
Bad of a place

Oh why, there's no comprehending
And who am I to try to
Judge or explain
Oh, but I do have one
Burning question
Who told you life wasn't
Worth the fight
They were wrong, they lied
Now you're gone and we cry
'Cause it's not like you to
Walk away
In the middle of a song

Your beautiful song
Your absolutely beautiful song

Here's hoping that our efforts for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will help keep more "beautiful songs" in our world.

Offset by Blue

Thought of the day courtesy of the late, great Zig Ziglar

The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want most for what you want right now.

Shifty Focus

If you're one of my Facebook friends,you've probably seen this photo already. Shortly after returning from the Tidal Basin on Saturday morning, I made it my new Facebook cover photo. I couldn't resist.

This image is the perfect combination of color, texture and composition. In low light pre-sunrise conditions, it's challenging to make sure your images are in focus. When your composition seems to be in focus through your camera viewfinder or LCD screen, it may actually be out-of-focus once you bring the photo up on your computer or tablet.

That's the joy of taking digital photos -- you can take as many as you want. Multiple attempts can increase your likelihood that at least one of the photos is as sharp and clear as you intended.

After taking at least six photographs of this same composition, this photograph was the only one in focus. It's always a delight when you discover that you got the shot you wanted.

Best Laid Plans

Anticipating today was peak bloom of the Cherry Blossoms around the Tidal Basin, I got up before the sun, jumped in a Zipcar and drove over to the National Mall. When I arrived, I learned the frustrating truth -- the blossoms were not in full bloom. Oh, the best laid plans of mice and men ... you know the story.

So, the sleep-deprived version of myself might have reacted to this news with bitterness and perhaps a few choice words, but the photographer in me responded instead. I was inspired.

Instead of taking big landscape photographs of trees in full bloom, I zoomed in on a smaller subject -- the blossom itself. It's amazing when you get close to your subject how different they can appear.

Today's photograph showcases the full spectrum of a blossom's bloom from bud to flower. This close, the blooms seem to be exploding like fireworks from the tree branches. In a day or two, these "explosions" will result in Cherry Blossom tree branches overwhelmed with flowers.

Sometimes the best photographs occur when the plan needed to change. These game-change situations force you to get creative and develop a new and unexpected plan. Just like with life, we need to be flexible with photography. You never know when (or how) your best photograph excursion may happen.

Both Light and Dark

Today, I'm reminded of one of my favorite quotes from J.K. Rowling's brilliant Harry Potter series. The following quote was said by Sirius Black, Harry's godfather as he tried to ease Harry's concerns about his growing dark magic ability.

"We have all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the power we choose to act on. That's who we really are."

It's a simple idea, yet one that we humans struggle with. It is hard for us to accept that we are each capable of both great goodness and great evil. It would be easier to believe that we are born either one or the other. But the coupling of goodness and darkness is essential to our evolution.

As George Lucas suggested in the Star Wars series, we can choose to embrace the light or dark forces as both reside within us. Once we make the choice, it can define us but it is not definitive; we can still switch sides.

We don't have to look to only pop culture to understand this viewpoint. Most of the world's religions have similar explanations for mankind's dual nature. Since then, modern storytellers like Rowling and Lucas are weaving the same tale.

Regarding Time

Everyone seems to be on Facebook now. My parents. My friends' parents. The Dalai Lama. Yes, even His Holiness the Dalai Lama -- the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people and Buddhists around the world -- maintains a Facebook page.

He is not the only spiritual leader with a Facebook page. Pope Benedict XVI has a Facebook profile too. But unlike other spiritual leaders who use Facebook to share news and activities, the Dalai Lama uses his updates to share insights and wisdom with his followers.

Today, he shared a great pearl of wisdom about how best we should use and regard time:

Every one of us is getting older, which is a natural process. Time is constantly moving on, second by second. Nothing can stop it, but what we can do is use our time properly; that is in our hands. Whether we believe in a spiritual tradition or not, we need to use our time meaningfully. If over days, weeks, months and years, we have used our time in a meaningful way – when our last day comes, we'll be happy, we'll have no regrets.

Jefferson Memorial Sunrise Reflection

I doubt that Thomas Jefferson imagined that he would be honored with such a majestic structure as the Jefferson Memorial. Although I'm sure that he would appreciate how beautifully situated it is on this picturesque spot at the Tidal Basin, especially at dawn.

New Challenges

After photographing the Cherry Blossoms along the Tidal Basin for more than 6 years, I challenge myself to uncover a new perspective or angle of the blooming trees each year.

On my fourth visit last week, I found a sweet position on the south side of the Tidal Basin. While there at sunrise, I figured out how to take a close-up photograph of the blossoms while the Jefferson Memorial lingered in the background.

Today's photograph was one of the highlights of my Cherry Blossom photo excursions this year.

Delicate Cherry Blossoms

They're here! They're here! Ok, I know the blooming Cherry Blossom tress are more "it" than "they," but to me, "they" are old friends and deserve a pronoun as such.

Today I visited the Tidal Basin for my annual sunrise Cherry Blossom photo adventure and wasn't disappointed. I look forward to the blossoms' brief visit each spring and I'm ecstatic that they are finally here.

In spite of the fog and overcast skies, the blossoms were near peak bloom and spectacular, especially the white blossom cherry trees. While the pink blossom cherry trees were not yet in full bloom, they should be peaking in the next 24-36 hours.

After six years of visiting the cherry blossoms, I am still in awe of the delicacy of the blossoms. The petals are so fine and fragile and vulnerable to wind and rain. Weather forecasts predict thunderstorms and rain this week, which will cause the trees to lose their blossoms faster.

If you're in the DC area and planning to visit the Cherry Blossoms this year, go to the Tidal Basin as soon as you can. Once the rain storms arrive, there is no telling how long the blossoms will be around.

Framing Jefferson

The most popular monuments to be photographed during Cherry Blossom season are the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial. After six years of Cherry Blossom photo excursions, I have plenty of images of both accompanied by blossoms.

While FDR, and now the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, also reside in the Cherry Blossoms zone, but they don't stand out among the blossoms as the Jefferson and Washington tributes do.

This year, I spent a lot of time photographing the Jefferson with the Cherry Blossoms. Today's photograph is one of the better images from my first visit.

My Wish for Us All

Today, my family says goodbye to a very special person.

Aunt Kathy and I shared many loves. We loved family. We loved talking about movies, fashion and the latest plays. And we especially loved music.

We constantly swapped our favorite CDs and introduced each other to new sounds and artists. We even would sing to ourselves when we thought no one was listening.

In honor of our shared love of music, it is fitting that I look to song lyrics to express what I hope Aunt Kathy felt she achieved in her shortened life, and what I know my aunt always wished for me.

Although my wish for more time together was not fulfilled, I'm wishing now for all of us to live lives full of everything we want it to be.

Don't wait for your life to start. Begin it now. Dream big. Worry less. And live a life full of giving and receiving love.

It is the perfect way to honor our loved ones no longer with us physically, and the best way for us to live life to the fullest.

"My Wish"
Performed by Rascal Flatts

I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow
And each road leads you where you want to go
And if you're faced with the choice and you have to choose
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you

And if one door opens to another door closed
I hope you keep on walkin' 'til you find the window
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile
But more than anything, more than anything

My wish for you
Is that this life becomes all that you want it to
Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small
You never need to carry more than you can hold

And while you're out there gettin' where you're gettin' to
I hope you know somebody loves you
And wants the same things too
Yeah, this is my wish

I hope you never look back but you never forget
All the ones who love you and the place you left
I hope you always forgive and you never regret
And you help somebody every chance you get

Oh, you'd find God's grace in every mistake
And always give more than you take
But more than anything, yeah more than anything

My wish for you
Is that this life becomes all that you want it to
Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small
You never need to carry more than you can hold

And while you're out there gettin' where you're gettin' to
I hope you know somebody loves you
And wants the same things too
Yeah, this is my wish, yeah yeah

My wish for you
Is that this life becomes all that you want it to
Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small
You never need to carry more than you can hold

And while you're out there gettin' where you're gettin' to
I hope you know somebody loves you
And wants the same things too
Yeah, this is my wish
(My wish for you)

This is my wish
(My wish for you)
I hope you know somebody loves you
(My wish for you)
May all your dreams stay big
(My wish for you)

Front Row Seat for Spring

Bestselling author and humorist Erma Bombeck once said:

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me."

The Weakness of Violence

Tomorrow is our national celebration of the life and work of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. He was a powerful, insightful speaker and often, I reread his speeches and writings, marveling at his thoughts and phrasing.

In tribute to him today and tomorrow, I will feature one of my favorite, and less-well known quotations on the blog for all of us to ponder.

In his book Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? written in 1967, King wrote:

The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.

Part of this quotation is inscribed on one of the marble walls around the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the National Mall.

Blossoms and the Washington Monument

Brrrrr. It's cold on the East Coast right now. Local weather reporters are promising warmer days ahead. However, it doesn't seem like they are arriving soon.

I can't help wishing for a shorter winter and an earlier, longer spring. Right now, I'm longing for mild spring mornings on the National Mall, walking among the blooming trees and admiring the marble monuments in contrast to clear blue skies.

As in the movie, Field of Dreams, where the characters believed that "if you build it, they will come," perhaps if I will spring to arrive sooner, it will.