Are we looking at life through a filter?

There are cameras everywhere these days.  Cameras used to be special things.  I remember how proud I was when I was about ten and my father let me use his camera.  It was old even then and really complicated.  I took lots of blurred photos of my cat which my dad then spent what seemed like a fortune getting developed.  

How things have changed... 

At the weekend, I saw two girls, running up a road holding a phone high above them.  I assumed they were making a video for Facebook or Instagram.  They were completely oblivious to anything else that was going on around them.  It made me think about all the parts of life that we are missing when we are looking through or even at a camera.

Now that we all have a camera in our pockets at every moment, missing out on what is going on around us can become even more of a reality. Photos are great to look back on but we need to put the phones down occasionally and actually experience life.  

Going back nearly twenty five years ago, my husband, James and I were on a trip to Singapore.  It was really cool and we had just bought a new expensive camera.  We wanted to capture every moment!  After a few days of this, I realised that who ever was taking the pictures was not having the real experience.  When we put the camera down, we quickly noticed some of the other tourists around us who seemed to have glued the cameras to their faces!  It seemed such a shame to be looking at life through the lens of a camera.

So...are we looking through the filter of our thoughts in every moment? What are you picking to focus on, in the millions of bits of information that are coming in every moment.   Are you looking for confirmation that everything is well or everything is falling apart?  We really do get in life what we focus on.   We have all been in the situation where we are looking for something on a shelf, either at home or in a supermarket.  We are telling ourselves, it is not there, I can't find it.  And, indeed, with that mindset, it is all but invisible to us.  When we ask someone else to help, the things we are looking for usually appears, as if by magic, in front of us, just where we were looking.  This applies to all of life, we only see what we are looking for, when we are actually, really looking for it!  Are you looking for the small things that make you happy or the small things that irritate you?

Yesterday, I posted a quote on Facebook and Instagram about overthinking.  I was very overwhelmed as my mother was confused and unwell and calling me every hour or so.   I could have so easily spiralled downwards with my thoughts but luckily I spotted that my filter was on "panic for the future" and I stopped myself and did some breathing in and out of my heart.   Next time someone annoys you, ask yourself "is this really true or is this a factor of my thinking?".  Are you making a judgement based on things that have happened in the past?  Are you projecting what is happening out into the future and thinking the worst?  Usually when we come back to the present and take out the overthinking, life becomes easier.  When we attribute people with good intentions instead of bad, we begin to see that most if not all of life's irritations are made up in our heads.  

Remember too that thinking is a flow, it is not fixed.  The things we think today may change tomorrow.  You thoughts can change in a heartbeat - if you let them!

I'm not saying this is easy, by the way, but it is worth a try!

Remember to Live Life Lightly!

Love from

P.S.  On the other side of my camera thoughts is an interesting observation. I read a book recently, it was "I heart me" - by Dr. David Hamilton, in case you are looking for a good read.  Apparently selfies are good for you when you are feeling sad or depressed.  There is lots of research about "power poses" and how standing like you are feeling strong or confident actually works to make you feel that way (try standing like Wonder Woman for two minutes and see how it affects your mood).  When we are taking a selfie, we always smile and try to look our best.  This can help you to actually feel better.  I never looked at it that way until he mentioned it.

Photo by jacopo marello on Unsplash