Another day has brought a transformation in perception and an alteration in my experience of winter’s wallop…
A stark contrast in the illuminated brilliance of the morning and a striking difference in the play of light as I opened my door…
The palm tree near the window basked in the warmth of the sunlight, which decorated its slim leaves with sunlit stripes…
Standing near the wood stove, peering out the front window, I turned to notice how long it had been since I had dusted the bottles on the shelf behind the stove…
I retreated to the kitchen to start my day, and found I had just enough strawberry jam to make my breakfast treat…
Our perspectives on the world we inhabit often rely on our changing perceptions as we encounter the unique character of our everyday experiences, and what we learn from contemplation of our perceptions can affect our ability to utilize the resources we’ve accumulated in this way, as we navigate through the occasional rush of extraordinary experiences. Mindfulness is a process we can employ throughout our day to examine what occurs, determine how we feel, appreciate more fully what we sense, and lead us toward a future moment within which we might come to better understand the nature of our subjective reality. Our brains and our bodies provide the temporal resources for our very human experience of the world, but a fuller and more complete understanding of how our subjective experience of consciousness reveals a much deeper and richer foundation for all life can only come when we allow ourselves to be open to the infinite realm of possibility.
In the weeks and months to come, I will be examining the many aspects of subjective experience, from a variety of perspectives, and with an emphasis on how our everyday experiences can contribute to the accumulation of those vitally important resources for making sense of the extraordinary. This is an extraordinary time to be a participant in the conversations surrounding our true nature as modern cognitive humans, and it is my hope that my efforts to contribute to this important dialog will bear fruit in the year ahead.
John's Consciousness 
Our perspectives towards life, love and even everyday things change with every passing day. I loved your pictures…mundane subjects, but your way of looking towards them have changed the perspectives of viewers like me… 🙂
Two of the central points I hoped to communicate with both of my most recent posts are encapsulated in your response. The way we view even what we sometimes suppose are merely mundane aspects of the routine moments of our lives, often contain much greater meaning and importance than may be readily apparent at the moment in which they take place. Our extraordinary perceptual abilities, coupled with the components of our heightened cognitive capacities as human beings with complex brain structures, inform our awareness in an unprecedented manner among the many species produced by the same evolutionary inheritance that led to us. We do not routinely acknowledge the treasures which may be contained within these “mundane moments,” but with the right approach, and a mindfulness of the existence of such treasures in the first place, it may be possible to change our perspectives about them knowingly, and in so doing, create a greater benefit for ourselves and our fellow travelers in this life.
Your generosity in acknowledging my efforts is gratefully received and your thoughtful comment is most welcome! Thank you for sharing it.
Kindest regards….John H.
I’m happy that you find my comment thoughtful… it’s always a pleasure to read your blog… 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing such wonderful posts…. 🙂
Dipping back into WordPress after a hefty hiatus and of course here, dear John, is where I wander into first. I so like your love of words. In short, be positive, be in the moment, right? I am. And it brings such sweet pleasure. A hug from afar. X
Hello Love!
As always, your comments are brimming with positivity and encouragement, and I am so grateful for your expressions of support and affection. The world could use a whole lot more love like yours, and the kindness you share with me continues to inspire me to keep working to earn it.
I have missed your heartfelt contributions to the WordPress blogroll and hope you will continue to share more when you can, and also to wander here whenever you can, because it brings such sweet pleasure when you do. Yes, the keys to understanding ourselves, our human nature, and to making progress in any endeavor are “be positive and be in the moment.” You truly do possess these qualities and it shows in all that you do.
Please keep track of the hugs from afar, since I hope to collect them all one day!
Warm regards…John H.