Bird Watchers Are The Masters of “The Art of Noticing”
The world is never truly a silent place. When most people feel overworked or overwhelmed, they imagine themselves somewhere peaceful and quiet. But there is never truly silence – there is almost always a bird nearby. Whether it is a call from a seagull on a beach, or the fast-paced chirps from a sparrow in the woods, birds are a constant and are oftentimes overlooked.
I recently got into bird watching and I quickly realized that the people around me who also loved bird watching, were people who were able to step outside of their worldly problems, and take a true look at the creatures who filled the space of empty noises. Birders follow their breeding patterns, what their sounds could translate to, search for their nests and figure out their survival needs from just a few details.
Birdwatching requires a lot of patience and a true talent for noticing small movements and changes in behavior. Not all bird species are alike, and not all bird species will respond to a mixed seed bag from Walmart and a pitcher of water from your ultra-filtered reverse osmosis drinking system.
Despite the issues in the world of societal inequalities, financial constraints, and health irregularities, a few things remain constant. One of them is the promise of change. I always say the following to myself and my friends (but mostly myself), just as the change in seasons prove that discomfort is temporary, the world would be a better place if we were all to understand that life exists outside of our interpersonal problems, and there is so much peace on the other side of this realization.
Living a slower life is not a reality for a lot of people, and that is real. I do however think that we can all make some time to truly learn more about the people and creatures we want to become more like. In this mimicry, we might find a realization that can shift our view of the world and the way that we adjust to the changes of life that might come in our many years on earth.
I recently started a new book, How Great Ideas Happen: The Hidden Steps Behind Breakthrough Success by George E. Newman. I find it fascinating and a great summer read. The writing style reminds me a lot of another one of my favorites, Supercommunicators. So between unrealistic romance novels, and economic opinion pieces this season, I am working on new releases like this one that I find at my local library.
I wish nothing but success for this author. The book is filled with references to studies, guided activities, and a true in-depth look at the actual methodology and science behind how new innovative ideas are created – and not how we all would expect them to come around.
I have my first trip of the season coming up in a few weeks and I have been excitedly gearing up for that. I hope this summer is what I intend for and more.
Thnx for reading!
Fran.
