I have a ton of pictures on my phone. Too many. I am always taking pictures wherever I am, be it on a trail, cooking, shopping, or most of all in my garden. I take pictures for reference – like while shopping to note what I want to think about and possibly buy later, or odd things I find. I take pictures of signs to comment on. I take pictures of the trails for referring back to memories and to show people. I take pictures of each stage of development in a plant.

I often end up with duplicates – never sure what is the best shot. I take shots from different angles to decide later which one to use. And, frankly, a lot of pictures are not the best framed. I am trying to get better at taking pictures – the right lighting, , the right angles, frame, and cleaner pictures – less messy. I guess that is one good point about taking so many pictures – that I can see what I have done well and try to do more of that type.

As I had mentioned in an earlier post I also take pictures of PowerPoint presentations – work and otherwise. I did it so that I wouldn’t have to take notes – which are messy. I told myself I would come back to them and create notes from the pictures, but I don’t. I have a few left that I need to decide to either toss or transcribe.

I love pictures like the one above where I think I did a good job of framing. The colors struck me because I recall that when I originally arranged this one the little chopped-off pepper was all green. I sliced off a few slivers for salad. Now over time, it has changed colors and I love the look. It is amazing how plants can change – even when detached.

I think that photos can teach us about life. What kind of things do you capture with your camera? And not just the one you hold in your hand but also the one in your mind? What things do you highlight in your day? What is your mind focused on? All too often we just see fluff, or messy, or things that bring us down. We tend to overlook the bright and beautiful and uplifting. The news is often depressing and too much of it can ruin our days. We need to remember that no matter how bad things get, there is always beauty in the world, if only we take the time to look for it.

I hope your highlights today are bright and beautiful. That you focus on growth and progress and what you can do in the world. And I hope you let those around you, near and dear to you, know how much they mean to you. Remember to capture in your mind and heart your worth.