Perspectives and Dewitt Jones

I recently saw a video at work from Dewitt Jones. He is a photographer for the National Geographic. His pictures are really amazing and beautiful, but the message in his video is that we can all change our perspectives and look at life with new eyes, seeing the possibilities and the beauty. What an amazing vision! This is the kind of vision that can change lives, can bring people out of the darkness, lift up people from the rubbish and dirt of everyday existence and into the journey of life. His work is beautiful, but his life's philosophy is so inspiring!

www.dewittjones.com

"Life doesn't make appointments, it just comes at you", - Dewitt Jones

He looks for the extraordinary in everyday life. He looks for what is possible, he believes that the beauty will be there for him, and so he finds it. If we could all look with new eyes at our lives, look for the inspiration, look for the beauty, we would find our passion and our lives would be enriched. If we could believe, then we would see.

This message really speaks to me, especially this time of year. The time to be Thankful and Grateful. I have so many things to be grateful for! This has been a time of learning and healing for me, and I am amazed at the possibilities that await me!

Long Time, No Blog!

Oh my Goodness! Am I ever behind on my blogging! My life has been going so fast lately, I haven't had the chance to catch up. My family calls me Shunner Number One! Laura is Shunner Number 2! Neither of us is home much. I will try to write a few thoughts about what has been happening. Although I know I don't have time to do any of it justice.

I was honored and privileged to be asked to be a Group Leader for Colorado Youth at Risk. I don't think of myself as the best Leader, I have lots of work to do in this area, so I was very nervous and tentative about saying yes. But, in the end, I drew strength from my husband Ross's example, and stepped out of my comfort zone. The new group is based entirely of freshmen students from the newly re-opened Manual High School in Denver. For those of you that are unfamiliar, Denver Public Schools are in the top 2 highest dropout rates in the nation. Manual High School was closed two years ago for restructure by the superintendent of DPS. The school was reopened with just one class last year, and now the second class has been introduced.

I attended what is called the Launch Course for this new group of CYAR youth and mentors. This involved about 100 people going to Buena Vista in the beautiful Colorado Rockies for a 4 day retreat. I can't even begin to describe what this long weekend was like for me. It was an amazing, life changing experience! The entire weekend I felt like my entire life had led me to that time and place. It was a very strange, wonderful, unfamiliar feeling. All I will say for now is that this organization is truly an organization of personal change and opening up the possibilities, and I am so blessed to be a small part of such an amazing thing.

In addition to my new role, I have signed up for Leadership classes, so that I can become to feel more confident and be a more effective leader. This class is also like no other that I have taken, it is challenging and confronting and so what I need! I have so much to learn!

Hopefully, I can find more time to blog later!