Share Something New Challenge . . .
“A great thought begins by seeing something differently, with a shift of the mind’s eye.” ~ Albert Einstein
There is something special about “new” things that can raise your spirits, add excitement to your life, make memories, make you feel more alive and inspire you. Think about how “new” feels …. the excitement of driving a new car (even if it is only for a test drive), meeting new people, attending a new event, a new coffee shop, a new hiking trail, a new haircut, listening to new music, tasting a new kind of chocolate perhaps 😉 … or finding a new wild flower like this one, maybe?
I have lived in Northern Minnesota for most of my life and if I ever saw this flower growing wild in the woods before, it never registered with me until this week. I don’t remember ever seeing them. I am known to stop for many things while I am driving down the country roads .. usually to take a photo, watch an animal, or even pick berries. The brightness of these orange colored flowers caught my eye immediately and as soon as I slowed down enough to realize that they were not the common Indian Paintbrushes, I was stopped and down in the ditch with my camera (amidst the bugs) taking pictures in the wind (sorry for the blurs). These are wood lilies (I looked them up when I got home). Unlike the lady slippers in a recent post, these can be picked (I only took 3 home to enjoy 😉 ).
“See any detour as an opportunity to experience new things.” ~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
New out of the ordinary and off the beaten path shops were also a part of my week. A craft shop with locally made things (where I found a New little star candle holder and battery operated wax candle to put in it – not that I needed more “stuff”), a very small coffee shop with a “mom’s” lunch menu (3 special items for the day) and homemade pies (the wild rice quiche was heavenly), and an antique shop with sidewalk cafe (Italian sodas and homemade goodies) … These places were all in a small city/town that I visit all the time. However, they are places I don’t usually see as I am too busy running errands and don’t take the time to explore the little corners of the town, the little shops and try new things.
“Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
New things … newness … can inspire you in a variety of ways. This week’s newness has inspired me to slowdown and explore the unknown more. I am looking more closely at the details, I am looking in unseen corners of my little world and I would like to challenge you to do the same.
A challenge post:
I challenge you to look around this week for something “new”. Take some time to slow down and look around your world more closely. Venture into an out-of-the-way place in an area you are familiar with but never visit, look more closely at something you pass by every day but never really “see”, try something new, do something new … and in a “new” post, share your new thing with us and tell us how it made you feel. How did this “new” thing put a little life into your life this week!
Simply provide a link to your post in your comment and we will all come and visit your newly found “new” thing …
“To see a world in a grain of sand, and heaven in a wild flower; to hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour–is inspiration.” ~ William Blake
If you would like to see more of Minnesota’s Wildflowers that growing this first week of July, check out my recent posts at BEAR IN SIGHT (my photography blog):
Bear in Mind 
We go to a certain area to park several times a year. While so much is familiar it appears quite different in various seasons and often come upon things I haven’t seen before.
Great … love to see something new you find this season. Or, you can just find a new city spot, too. 😉
There is so much in the world to see and to hear when we really listen. John Muir was right that most folks live on the world but they never truly become part of it.
John Muir has so many great words about nature …
Love this challenge! I will pay more attention this week, although if I’m honest, so much is still new to me here that it might not be a difficult challenge for me. Then again, I’ve been in a rut lately so this might help with that.
Those lilies would have stopped me, too. Thank you for braving the bugs to share them with us. 🙂
Hello fellow ditch diver … it is amazing how many beautiful flowers can be found in a country ditch 🙂
I hope it is an easy challenge for you … and brightens up your life a bit looking for it.
What a neat idea! I will try to take you up on this challenge!
I hope you find something really unique for your “new” post.
How fascinating! I have been thinking about “new” quite a lot the last few days. It feels like some energy is shifting to allow more newness in my life–and the life of others. One new thing I am doing is listening to music on my Kindle Fire. Haven’t really listened to much music in very many years. It’s a small thing but feels inspiring. Listened to Simon & Garfunkel this morning and Leonard Cohen last night. This is really a great idea, bearyweather, and I think it’s cool you visited all those funky shops and sampled that mama’s lunch.
The funky shops were great .. going to check out a few in another town next week. I look forward to seeing your “new” post.
[…] I almost forgot! Bearyweather has issued a Share Something New Challenge: […]