Give it another look

It’s always amazing how looking at something in a new light can completely change your feelings about it.

I was putting away the holiday decorations Saturday and was dismayed at how empty and the living room looked when I was done. I tried rearranging a few pieces in hopes of filling the void where all of my "joy"-themed trappings had been to no avail. Since it was getting late and I’m getting lame in my old age, I figured I’d try moving the furniture around in the morning to see if that helped.

The next morning, coming out of the bedroom to start my day with Ann Louise’s long life cocktail, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I’d done a better job than I’d thought the previous night and I actually liked the way the living room looked. Rather than looking empty from the lack of holiday decor it looked open and inviting — making me want to grab my library book and curl up under a warm blanket for the day.

I couldn’t do that, of course, because I had to go for a walk since I hadn’t gotten one in the day before — unless you count lugging bags around the mall — that’s quite the workout itself.

While I’d been at the mall, I decided to take my self-esteem in my hands and try to find a pair of interim jeans on clearance to tide me over until I reach my goal weight. Despite what the scale and tape measure have already told me about my weight loss goals, it’s been really hard to see the results for myself just by looking in the mirror. Maybe it’s because I see myself in my own mirror every day — ie: the same light — but standing in front of that, usually, unforgiving reflective surface in the dressing room I definitely saw the difference more clearly. I then enjoyed a couple of entirely vain moment preening in front of the mirror and feeling pretty good about myself.

This “whole new light” thing applies to so many things and I often forget to take advantage of it. Sometimes, as I’m struggling with something at work — usually any number of other things the computer does or does not do to my complete bafflement and utter frustration — I need to remember to take some time away from project. Chances are I’ll see the source of the problem that much more easily if I look at it with fresh eyes or after a calming breath.

Maybe if we all took a moment to view things in a new light we’d spend less time in the dark.