Slow down and pay attention
Louie Schwartzberg, “an award-winning cinematographer, director, and producer who captures breathtaking images that celebrate life,” has been “shooting time-lapse flowers continuously, non-stop, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for over 40 years.” And his work is incredible. Breathtaking. I stumbled on his 2011 Gratitude TEDtalk which led me on a rabbit trail that ended with watching his National Geographic Film, “Mysteries Of The Unseen World.” Take a moment (39 minutes actually) and watch this incredible video.
Louis asked in his TEDtalk video, “Did you know that 80% of the information we receive comes through our eyes? And if you compare light energy to musical scales it would only be one octave that the naked eye can see, which is right in the middle.
from “Mysteries Of The Unseen World | National Geographic”
And aren't we grateful for our brains that can take this electrical impulse that comes from light energy to create images in order for us to explore our world?”
In that video, Louis invites David Steindl-Rast to share his thoughts: You think this is just another day in your life? It's not just another day. it's the one day that is given to you today. It's given to you. It's a gift. It's the only gift that you have right now, and the only appropriate response is gratefulness.
Gratefulness.
I know I am not always grateful. And isn’t it crazy that 80% of the information we receive comes through our eyes? Wow. I love the imagery that Louis offered concerning how much we see of the electromagnetic field that we only see 1 octave on the piano, but there is so much more going on.
One octave. There is so much that we are missing.
And it’s not just what we see. Our lives are so busy that we miss our kids growing up. Think of that little quote about how time flies: “The days are long but the years are short.” It’s so true.
How can I make time slow down?
How can I be more grateful, to appreciate the moments of life more?
I can do it by slowing down and paying attention. I could…
schedule time in my calendar for wonder and awe.
walk slowly down my street and pay attention to what is all around
meet my neighbors and listen to their stories
get a hammock, blanket, or comfy chair and sit outside and listen to all the birds I hear while watching all the clouds go by
drive slower than the speed limit on the back road instead of the interstate
sip on my favorite drink while looking out the window
put down my phone
build something
be fully present with someone, like a child or a friend, and get into their world
listen to one of my favorite songs several times, isolating the different instruments each time it plays
read a book just for the fun of it
look at nature or an old building and identity every color that I see: not just red, but dark red, light red, blueish red, etc.
“But I don’t have time to slow down!!!” It’s true, we don’t have time; we have to make time. We have to schedule the time to pay attention. It costs to pay attention. But it’s worth it. We have to plan well so that we can appreciate the wonders of God’s creation, other incredible humans, and especially our family.
Even though the days seem long and the years are short, maybe, just maybe I can slow down and pay attention a little better than I normally do.
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Here are two more of Louis’s TEDtalks, much of what comes from the NatGeo film, but are still wonderful.
Hidden Miracles of the Natural World - April 2014
Wonder and Awe - Jan 2017
