Developing Usable Experiences

The new year and renewing focus

December 27th, 2007 11:09 pm —  147 views

around_the_corner.jpg

Yes indeed, a new year is just around the bend. Does this mean anything? Sure, it’s a new year and all that, the calendar changes and such. Besides all that, does it mean anything? January 1st is just another day after all.

Sure, just another day. Just another year. Just another life1. It is easy to see how one might recognize the start of a new year as an opportunity. Though nothing more than a calendar event, psychologically it carries some weight. Even if it after a few months the newness of the year starts to wear off, it doesn’t matter. The start of a new year is a good time to sit back and renew and gather one’s focus.

In sitting meditation one is instructed to count their breaths2. Terribly boring yes, but that isn’t the point. Well, it sort of isn’t, but not the point I’m aiming at. When one is sitting there, counting their breaths, the mind will naturally wander and pretty soon you forget that you should are trying to count. Should this happen, start over with you counting and keep breathing. That’s all.

Sitting at my kitchen table this morning enjoying a bagel and egg sandwich that W. made for breakfast, we talked about new year’s resolutions and whether they are even worth thinking about. Which got me thinking. I’m still thinking actually, thinking about what is behind me and what lies ahead. Will resolutions make an appearance? Maybe. Seems like they are just about establishing one’s focus.

In order to focus on something you need to be aware of your surroundings of course. Focus without context is not focus. In order to pay close attention to something you have to pay attention to everything, be aware of how your focus fits into the scheme of things. Bad things happen if you don’t.

I could go into some ramblings on context now, go on about where I see myself in life and how I fit into the world, that sort of thing. Maybe wax philosophical on my goals and what I’m doing with my time, how I think about things, who I worry about and empathize with, the happiness I see and the suffering that accompanies it. But I won’t. Not tonight.

It’s already late. W. is likely asleep and I’m close behind. I don’t have any homework, nothing to read, no papers to write. My desks are covered with watercolor supplies and cloudy jars of water. Three practice pictures sit on my bookshelf, reminding how much I have to learn. Twelve months, twelve serious attempts at creating something of beauty with pigment and water. Stay tuned.

Image: This is a picture I took driving back from Chelsea last week after going out to lunch with W. I like the composition with the leafless trees and the curving road. Not a bad shot taken on the spur of the moment. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
  1. If you believe in rebirth that is. This is a very interesting subject I might add. [↩]
  2. Counting it typically from 1 to 10 but the counting is just a trick to focus the mind on nothing. [↩]

Related Posts

Comment 

Comments

Leave a Reply




Subscribe without commenting