Losing Beauty

June 9, 2014
by Rodney Olsen
6 Comments

piano

Are we losing the ability to appreciate the extraordinary? Are our lives so overloaded with constant input that we’ve become desensitised to remarkable moments?

Henri Herbert is an undoubtedly talented musician. He plays piano with the Jim Jones Revue. You may have seen the YouTube video below when it was published almost a year ago. It’s a video of Henri sitting down to give an impromptu performance at St Pancras International station, London.

It’s amazing to see the indifference from most people in the station. They’re so busy with what’s happening in their own worlds that they fail to notice that something amazing is happening right next to them. Watch the video and take notice of the crowd.

Are we taking enough time in our lives to notice what’s going on around us? Are we missing the beauty that we might otherwise experience? I wonder if we’re seeing so much innovation and leaps forward in technology that we’ve lost a sense of awe at the remarkable.

What steps are you taking to ensure that you’re open to the extraordinary, even when it comes to you in quiet moments and subtle ways?



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Ordinary or Extraordinary?

April 23, 2010
by Rodney Olsen
2 Comments

Do you ever have those moments when the ordinary becomes the extraordinary; where things that you encounter every day become brand new?

I cycle beside the river every morning on my way to work and it’s always enjoyable but on some days it just shouts out to be noticed.

As soon as I started crossing Shelley Bridge this morning I noticed how calm the river was. It was like a mirror, perfectly reflecting every building and tree along the foreshore.

I then took in the wider view and saw the clouds that looked like they’d exploded into the sky from the horizon, leaving feathery wisps of white across the city. The view changed as I continued the journey but remained remarkable all the way to South Perth where I had to turn away from the river to finish the ride to work.

I wonder how often we miss something spectacular because we’ve become too familiar with our routines.



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