Flower Power

"Flowers are restful to look at. They have neither emotions nor conflicts." - Sigmund Freud

Ancient Egyptians regarded flowers as divine messengers. They filled temples with bouquets and garlands. The lotus held the secret of rebirth. Fragrance transport the mind from sensual to spiritual realm.

Flowers are known to trigger an involuntary smile, known as a Duchenne smile which like a polite smile, lights up the whole face, indicating genuine pleasure and true happiness. The expression is named after Guillaume Benjamin Amand Duchenne, a French neurologist who advanced the science of electro-physiology.

Enjoy days observing the thrill of flowers rising from the earth. Discover the variety of designs, colors, and scents as spring nears. Let smiles arise.

Nature's Teachings

"Look at that river," he said. "Can you see it? Let's suppose that the water is time passing. If where we are nw is the present, where do you think the future is located?"

I thought for a moment. It seemed like an easy one. I gave the most obvious answer, "The future is where the water goes, down over there."

"Wrong!" my father declared. "Fortunately." 

Later:

"If the point at which you immerse yourself is the present, I thought then the past is the water that has flowed past you, that which has gone downstream and where there is nothing left for you, whereas the future is the water that comes down from above, bringing dangers and surprises. The past is in the valley, the future is in the mountains. This is how I should have replied to my father. Whatever destiny may be, it resides in the mountains that tower over us. "  

                                               -  from The Eight Mountains by Paolo Cognetti  

Choose a landscape that represents a state of mind. Do you need a refuge or a place to wander?

Imagine your visit to the river and its flow in a valley. It surges, bubbles, sneaks around obstacles. Erodes to get its way. It moves on.

Would you prefer puddling offerings of tranquility or the rigor of a climb up the steep grades?  

What happens in all times of weather? How will the mountains require a change?

Often the water feels languid and makes you restless to discover the trail. Then a pursuit upward among foliage, scents and sounds energizes the senses. Where will the twists, turns and scramble take you?

What will the mountains teach you about the future?

Ignite Intuition

 

Intuition involves developing an acuity of perception. It engages creative thinking with hunches and possibilities. A special sense activates to grasp the invisible and provide insight. Flashes of thrill and understanding result without barriers of perceived notions.

David G. Myers,  a psychologist, defines intuition as, "The capacity for direct knowledge and immediate insight, without any observation or reason."  Malcolm Gladwell, another expert, describes intuition as the "power of thinking without thinking."

Myers also discusses the perils of intuition. If untempered by logic and analysis, it can lead us down rabbit holes where we lose track of the difference between our fantasies and the real world. It can cause us to mistake our fears for  ESP or get lost in a maze of self-fulfilling prophecies.

What do you take from the abstract comments above?  Rabbit holes might lead to creative play. Fantasies create laughter. Mazes tickle the mind's problem solving strategies.



Write about your experience with intuition. How does it affect your creativity and life?