Hi Friend
We have had some of the most amazing skies this week! I know I’ve been hung up on the outdoors the last few writings, but being outside and observing it all around me has been quite rejuvenating. The sky is not limited to the topography of any state line. Nor can it be demolished by suburban build-outs. No, the sky has its own majestic way about it, that we humans can’t taint.
I say it’s the sky, but really it’s the combination of clouds, sunlight and shades of blue. While at night, the stars sprinkled create a fascinating covering. Of course when reflected off water at any time, the expanse seems to dance. Its massiveness is both humbling and encouraging. I suspect the sun and moon are both pretty happy with the gigs they landed.
When we see ourselves in contrast to the openness above, our minds go in a multitude of directions. Whether it’s feeling tininess like the original Men in Black closing scene or immensely valued to be alive right now – when we look up – the thoughts that flood our neural pathways on any given day are a healthy indicator of our current emotional state.
How Do I Feel in Context to the Sky Today?
That’s a fun way to start the day.
We’ve had an unusual amount of rain this past week. Lots of dark clouds unleashing their droplets to keep our grass green. It’s very thoughtful of them. It’s interesting how different the sky looks on those days. Is that the same celestial display that was shouting blue and orange hues at me just two days ago?
Have you ever encountered someone whose demeanor has changed drastically and you thought “What happened to the Blue Sky Guy?” Or do you know of those who always seem to be carrying dark clouds around with them?
I don’t know weather patterns or how all that works. Heck, I don’t even watch the forecast or look at my app. I just get up and face the day, whatever the sky is offering. In our efforts for emotional intelligence, we’ve all attempted to become people meteorologist, anticipating what’s causing the thunder and lightning in someones life. Should we bring an umbrella with us when heading into their office? Or sunglasses to tone down the cheery?
Like the atmosphere, the layers in our lives each take a little more effort to get to and more support to remain in. It must be in relation to oxygen levels. Again, I’m no astronaut or weatherman, but it seems obvious the more distant we get from literally the breath of life, the more strained our existence becomes.
What gives you life?
How near or far from it, are you?
One of my old favorite bands Bauhaus had an album called The Sky’s Gone Out. Though it seems to be an eternal canvas that platforms everything in it, it too is an entity. The idea of it “going out” would connect earth to space without a buffer, which seems really dark. In this pandemic reality, it feels like some skies are going out in friends and colleagues.
The Sky
Revealer
Platformer
Conductor
Container
Reminder
Buffer
If you’ve seen a beautiful sunset or watched a heat lightning storm or stargazed in the country, you know that somehow that great openness connects directly to our soul. Something transpiring so far away can cause a smile and sense of comfort. How does it do that? How can WE do that?
Instigating Ideas
1. Go outside and look up for 10 minutes.
2. Do the same thing, only at night.
3. Consider what’s dancing across your emotional skyline.
4. Ponder how to remove some clouds from someone else’s sky.
5. Describe your favorite sky to someone.
Do you like… Sunsets or sunrises? Clouds creating images, casting shadows or clear vast immensity? Starry nights or shiny days? We get them all. We get to be them all to others.
How would someone describe you as a sky?
The intangibility of the sky is remarkable. It appears solid, stable and certain. Yet describing it is almost always in context of what else utilizes it or what it provides for others. I wonder if our life could be more impactful if we were more intentionally sky-like?
I dare you this week to daily look at the sky and assign it a characteristic. Then assign yourself one for the day that you want others to experience when interacting with you. I would love to hear some of the descriptive words you chose for both. Please Share.