Are we blind! or just repeteadly failing to observe

Few years ago, my situation was as follows. Strange thoughts were troubling me. A feeling of boredom and drowsiness were engulfing around me. My life was becoming swirling vortex of monotonous events and past incidents were becoming burden. I wasn’t finding myself involved in almost all the acts of life. I was hurting my near and dear ones; and to my surprise, I was not even realizing that. I was feeling as all my skills were getting exhausted and there is no way to rejuvenate it or to refill life with new wind until I discovered the “art of Observation”.

Just to try something different I decided to visit the city Zoo. I was watching rabbits hopping around here and there, but actually I was in my own world, lost in thoughts which got broken by a voice from behind, “My dear friend, Did you know that, Rabbits, being prey animals, tend to be exploratory in new spaces and when confronted with a threat, they tend to freeze and observe. Just see that one.” (I turned around; saw a guy 35 years old and without replying I turned back)

Then our gaze suddenly shifted towards squirrel which was trying to climb the tree and he spoke again, “you see her hind limbs are longer than the forelimbs, look isn’t it really helping her to move upwards, don’t you feel everything in this world has some purpose?”

Yess!! , I replied automatically. I felt irritated by the continuous interruptions. But he was making sense I thought, it’s worthwhile to observe such small things and understand the rational behind them. And after some time I started feeling nature so beautiful and life around so lively.

Soon we became friends and moved forward together, and found one old man sitting near the pond, looked quite lost in himself and on seeing that my fellow companion once again spoke with great energy. Good morning Sir, aren’t clouds making some amazing patterns in the sky, see the reflection in water. Ahh you are right Man, Old man Spoke in such a way as he has just stumbled upon lost treasure and can’t suppress his blushing.

He made me wonder with his amazing observation skills, He seems to look at things that I have known or seen though out my life, with a different eye; often pointing out details and characteristics I seem to miss out.

And this opened up a new vista of thought for me and I realized a person with astute observation skills and an eye for details manages to extract an extra kick out of life that the unobservant cannot.

For instance, when was the last time that you really… as in really enjoyed the food that you put in your mouth? Chances are that you worried and fidgeted and thought for something else when ate! Focus on what you are chewing and discover a new pleasure.

When did you last really pay attention to the music you love? Did you ever focus on the actual beat, the rhythm, and the words? Do so now, and find yourself, falling in love all over again. FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU!

When did you last really look at the faces of those you love? Look, as in, really observe? Were you watching when that wrinkle formed on the beloved face of your parents or spouse? Or, did it creep in and multiply while you were looking elsewhere? Learn to observe and understand them. They really love you.

For that matter, when did you last meet your own eyes in the mirror and tried to understand what they were telling you?

No fine actor, director, a writer or a Speaker- in fact, no fine person- can develop unless they have studied life in details. Is not Advancement in Science, biology, art, history almost in all the streams, the result of close observation strengthened by fixity of purpose? James watt wasn’t first one who saw the plate lifting up from the kettle of boiling water and Isaac Newton wasn’t the first man either who saw the apple falling down from the tree but they managed to observe the rational behind those phenomena which all their predecessors failed to observe.

The range of what we think and do is limited by what we fail to observe. And because we fail to observe that we fail to observe. There is little we can do to change until we observe how failing to observe shapes our thoughts and deeds.

God! Some say is in the details and one who has mastered the art of focusing on the minutest details; has mastered the art of blocking out the unpleasant, to focus attention on that which gives pleasure. Choice is ours whether we want to spend our life aimlessly or want to live, learn and understand it. Here the idea is to keep your self involved in what ever you do and you will find rhythm in your life.

The art of observation begins with immersing ourselves in the textures and tones of life. Observation requires looking and listening without passing judgment on the impressions we collect, keeping ourselves free from the biases, preferences and prejudices we hold, then only we can see the beauty around us.

After so many years, I still remember my companion in the Zoo; He made a difference in my life. Now I am more involved, earnest in my approach and try to celebrate every moment, I love my life and everything attached to it, my friends, Family, Music, Food almost everything.

The morning wind forever blows, the poem of creation is uninterrupted; but few are the eyes who observe it.