look up

I was reading a wonderful new blog today (new to me), and found this quote, "Keep looking up. You'll end up going where your gaze goes."

That reminded me in such a great way, of a conversation that I just had with a friend about traveling. She was saying how she remembers that I told her to "look up" whenever she is in a new city, to see the fantastic details on buildings, to catch everything that is above street level. Some of the best architecture is found at the tops of buildings, in the windows, or flower boxes, or rooftop gardens. So much of life occurs above our heads, so much history can be found, so many things to be discovered when we pause and turn our gaze up, instead of just watching our feet and the sidewalk ahead.

This photo was taken back in 1997, in downtown Madison. As I remember, the city was just starting a "borrow-a-bicycle" program, similar to another new program they're starting this summer, and this building had been turned into an art project, as a way to show people the fun new red bikes. It was such a surprise to look up and see bicycles on the sides of the building, but such a treat to discover.

It's also a life lesson that I'm learning once more, to open up to the sun, the sky, the air. The fourth chakra. Opening up my lungs, and in turn, my heart. Letting my head fall back, and turning my eyes upward. Opening up to possibility. So look up... who knows what you will find.