The Outsiders

Being an outsider can have its benefits.

Outsiders can see the inside of things in ways that nobody else sees them.

A significant number of people are quite happy to be different from the rest.

Happy to think and act independently and sit on the outside.

It takes practice to be comfortable being an outsider, or even just being around people who seem like outsiders.

It’s not always easy - you can become the target of people’s fears or seem threatening when you are not.

But the rewards you get from an outsider’s perspective may surprise you and even delight you.

Give it a try!

“One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.”
~~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Sculpture by Neil Laredo called "Gate" taken at Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney on 9th October 2013.
Part of the Hidden Sculptures Exhibition.

Two Different Worlds

Isn't it an amazing world we live in, being able to connect and share our lives via blogging and Flickr etc with people we have never met in real life.

What is perplexing though is none of my real life or offline friends engage with me on my blog, although they all know I blog regularly. Perhaps it's because they knew me before I blogged, I don't know.

They haven't a clue as to what goes on in the blogosphere or the sort of conversations/thoughts that take place here. I am sure some of them think of blogging as being some sort of narcissistic exercise that has little value.

It's almost like they don't know me as well as my online friends. Such a strange thing to say, isn't it.

Our blogs, photos say much about where we are at the moment, where we are going and who we are becoming. Both posts and comments provide a wealth of information.

I feel I live in two different worlds or living a double life. My online and offline lives are, while fundamentally the same, incredibly different.

I think both worlds serve a unique purpose. I don't think they need to necessarily converge, but it does become frustrating to have that sort of gap when you're speaking to somebody (real life). Then again, I suppose it's entirely different type of growth and experience.

I was "talking" to my lovely, talented online friend Maureen the other day and here is part of what she wrote.

"I can honestly say that I get more support and encouragement from my online friends than I ever have from my other friends.
Not that my friends aren't supportive, but they have lives that go in different directions. Here, online, I have friends that have common interests and goals and dreams. Hey. None of my real friends talk about their dreams, or their One Little Word (OLW). And that's a bit sad, but it's the truth."

I am so grateful to have found so many likeminded people in cyberspace who realise the power of sharing and giving of themselves and I have been so fortunate to have met many bloggers in real life and look forward to meeting more in the future.

So keep shining my wonderful online friends and I hope you realise how loved you all are.

Namaste.

"In order to keep a true perspective of one's importance, everyone should have a dog that will worship him and a cat that will ignore him."
~~ Anonymous


I discovered I could still make cards on Scrapblog (they were bought out by Mixbook) so I made another card to place in the books I leave in the park opposite my house.

A Different Perspective

I am a great fan and admirer of Cirque Du Soleil and over the years have been very fortunate to see a number of their absolutely sensational shows.

At each of these shows, I have joined thousands of other people in the circus tent to reflect in total awe on the amazing and seemingly impossible acrobatic feats in each performance. When this is coupled with the larger than life sense of theatre that engulfs everyone, it leaves you inspired and full of appreciation for what you have just seen.

Just recently I had the opportunity to see the same Cirque Du Soleil show for a second time within a space of about a month. At the first show, my friend and I were seated about thirty rows back from the stage, so you could imagine it was not easy to see all the expressions on the faces of the performers or for us to fully appreciate the passionate effort that they put into their individual performances. However, what we were able to enjoy was the wonderful panorama of the overall performance.

At the second show, we were fortunate to be seated in the second row just a couple of metres from the stage and we could now see close up the performers and their expressions. Equally, having seen the show before, we both looked forward to seeing our favourite segments for the second time.

Driving home after the second show, we talked about which of the two shows we enjoyed the most and also whether it was better to sit close to the stage or further back. We agreed that both shows were equal in terms of their spectacle and enjoyment, but from two totally different perspectives. In seeing the show for the second time, our appreciation of the absolute brilliance of Cirque Du Soleil was significantly enhanced and without doubt will always be remembered.

In the days that followed it occurred to me that there are some parallels between the experience we had at the two Cirque Du Soleil shows and what happens in our every day lives when we deal with the many challenges that face us.

How often do we make a decision about something important to us based on one single viewing of the facts or act just on what are our first impressions of the situation, without taking the time to gain a better feel for things. By way of example, when we read a good book or watch a movie for the first time it is so easy to believe that we now have a full understanding of all that we have just read or seen. Then at some later point, if we read the book or watched the movie for a second time we are almost certain to discover lots of other important things that we missed the first time around.

Whilst we often don’t have the opportunity to consider an important challenge or situation for a second time before we make a decision about the course action we will take, we should always endeavour to make time to stand back and view things from afar in order to gain a perspective of the bigger picture, and then be able to revisit the challenge or situation close up to see the finer detail and further improve our understanding.

In the light of the different perspective that a second viewing can provide to us, we would then be in a better position to make a more balanced and considered decision about the action we should take. I am sure if we all strived to do this, the outcome may very well be as enjoyable and uplifting as my second visit to Cirque Du Soleil.


Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi, November 2008 - These two photos are an example of a different perspective of the same sculpture, one from afar and one up close.