New Lens, New Perspective

I splurged and bought a new lens for my camera. Every lens has a unique purpose that  allows the photographer to see things with a new perspective. My lens arrived last night, and I excitedly locked it onto my camera. It was getting late, so I took just a few shots with it—nothing special—and I went to bed.

It’s wonderful how our brains work, especially after a good night’s sleep. I awoke with anticipation, ready to get outside and try my new lens. But it was still dark, forcing me to loll in bed, floating in that hazy spot between asleep and awake. Thinking about my new lens gave me an insight. A lens is another way of looking at things, to re-frame, refocus, and see things in a new light. It’s the same way with our own internal lens. Sometimes we get stuck and fail to see the possibilities that are around us and are part of us. We cling to our routines, accustomed to the same old, same old. We can’t step back and look at the big picture. Sometimes we don’t want to zoom in and examine a problem. But if we can change our lens, it opens up our creative abilities and our options. For example, a cow trough and a piece of PVC can serve their normal purpose and do a wonderful job quenching the thirst of a herd. Or—viewed through a different lens—they can become a farm chic fountain!

Cow panels can protect the herd, or they can be re-purposed into a beautiful and sturdy garden trellis. Looking at things from a different perspective expands everything and allows us to use our innate capabilities to create and to solve problems.

Learning to use a new lens takes time and effort. Getting good at it doesn’t happen overnight, but you never know what you’ll see through that lens until you try it!