"Stairway to Heaven?"

And it's whispered that soon if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter
Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin

From the BerkshireEdge Click to view story

by Skip Cohen

​It's Sunday, and if you've followed me for even the shortest amount of time, I always run amok when I write a Reflections post. It's my weekly therapy to step entirely away from business and marketing and focus on something more personal and different. This morning's post is a perfect example.

We're all conditioned to capture images of beautiful sunsets, but we rarely photograph the sunrise. In fact, looking through all my photographs from the last couple of years, I only have one series of sunrises, and it was taken while on vacation. My standard routine is to look west at the end of each day; rarely do I look east. 

This morning, when we took the pups out, I looked behind me, and the shot above was unfolding. It's not a perfect shot, but you can't argue with the power of the colors and the clouds as the sun raised its head for a day predicted to bring more rain and thunderstorms.

Here's my point - a simple change of perspective completely enhanced the start of a new day. I broke routine, grabbed my phone, and walked out our front door to get as much of an unobstructed view as possible. When I showed it to Sheila, her first comment was, "Stairway to Heaven."

There's so much that we miss every day because of life's challenges and the stress they bring. Whether it's business, politics, Mother Nature's wrath, family squabbles, financial worries, or our health, we don't take the time for our own respite!

I've been writing a lot for the Alzheimer's Association, and in a recent post, I wrote about the importance of respite for caregivers. You can't help your loved one if you're not taking care of yourself first. We all know the routine of a flight attendant in the event of an emergency and the importance of putting our own mask on before trying to help another traveler. Well, it's no different in our daily lives - we need to make taking care of ourselves a priority.

I'm not suggesting you abandon your worry list - just recognize that a different perspective can help charge your battery. However, it only works if you recognize the signs that you're running out of gas in the first place. 

Alfred E. Neuman had it right long before most of us. Worrying only reinforces the negatives in your life, but looking in a new direction might just give you a different perspective and a spectacular view you would have missed if you hadn't broken the routine!

If you're in the US or Canada, it's a holiday weekend, making it the perfect time to tune out the noise that steals your peace. Make it a weekend with time to recharge and appreciate the beauty around you and everything that makes you smile, laugh, and your heart soar.

Yeah, it's hokey and sappy, but it works!

Wishing everybody a day ahead that's packed with nothing but smiles and appreciation for those people in your life who mean the most to you. Always go for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs I write about. They really do work and when done regularly, can become a part of keeping things in the proper perspective. Don't let the stress of the world dominate your dreams...even the little ones.

​Happy Sunday...or Monday on the other side of the world.

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