Gratefulness arises when we change our perspective.

For us artist types, gratefulness is often linked to our ability to perceive beauty. If we are proficient at recognizing the loveliness of any given thing, gratefulness arises as a natural consequence. However, sometimes we seem unresponsive and incapable of finding the beauty of a particular setting. What then? As a landscape photographer, I'm well aware of the fact that although my eye may be able to pick out the elements in a setting that are stunningly beautiful, the camera - as a rather clumsy and ineffective device when compared to the eye - oftentimes cannot. It is during these times that I CAN find fresh beauty if I simply change my perspective! In the case of my hike up to a subalpine lake the other day, the lighting was less than ideal for taking pictures of the surrounding peaks. However, when I got down on my hands and knees and began shooting the intricate ice patterns of the frozen lake - backlit by a sun that had already set - beauty was suddenly present all around me! The same principle applies to everyday life.  Changing our perspective is everything!
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Photo: Ice patterns on The Loch, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, November 23, 2015

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