Another Day in Joy School

Quotes of the day:  “You have to sniff out joy. Keep your nose to the joy trail.”  – Buffy Sainte-Marie

“We need Joy as we need air. We need Love as we need water. We need each other as we need the earth we share.” – Maya Angelou

Joy School - Blue Skies, Yellow Flowers, Honey Bee

Another day in joy school.  I got up early and went out to Carver Park Reserve, west of the Twin Cities.  Got to the park while the dew was still wet in the grass, the light was golden, and the breeze soft and cool.  Joy!  I had no agenda and no expectations – just me and my camera wandering the trails. Joy!

If your days don’t leave you feeling that you’re in joy school, maybe you should take a little time to stop and breath and find one thing each day that brings you joy.  There’s a lot of chaotic and scary stuff going on in the world and some days it’s hard to hold onto hope, joy, love and peace.  Focusing on the negative doesn’t make the bad stuff go away. It just creates more negativity.  This is a hard lesson for me as I’ve been trained to focus on what needs to be fixed and to plan, solve problems, and work hard. And God knows, I do my share of worrying about everything that’s wrong with the world.  But in my experience, problem-solving and working hard doesn’t create positive change.  Listening, finding what is working, amplifying the positive, being grateful for small blessings, following the soft yearnings of my own heart – these bring transformation which starts to create wholeness and health.  I don’t want to think and work my way into success as our culture defines it, because  I don’t believe we’re going to solve the problems of today’s world with yesterday’s solutions.  Instead I am working on changing and healing the only life I can – my own.

Photography will not solve world hunger, global climate change, or world-wide economic woes.  When I create a photograph that helps me or someone else connect with joy, beauty, and grace, I make a very small positive change.  It’s what brings me joy.  Here’s to another day in joy school.  These area a few of the photos I made today.

Barn and Silo on a Country Road

Signs of Fall

Golden Grass

Red Sumac Leaves

Trumpeter Swan Family