Today’s issue of Picture to Ponder is about offering a brief respite at the beach. View the two 30 and 40 second videos and/or simply be with the top photos.

Then, if you might be interested in experiencing the possibility of using your camera and photography to empower you in your life, please check out my complimentary offer described below, after the SRQs.

Today’s Photos -

Click on image to watch video on YouTube

The top photo is of the sky and ocean at Boynton Beach at approximately 6:20 AM, approximately 25 minutes before the sun actually came up over the horizon.

The middle photo is a screen shot from the video of sandpipers. They were scurrying around so quickly still shots seemed out of the question. Click on the image itself or the video link to observe the sand pipers and hear the ocean. You’ll note at the end, I’ve reversed titled it “The Flow of Life”.

The bottom video is simply of the gently rolling surf to give you the experience of being there as you listen to and watch the rhythm of the gentle waves.

Self-Reflecting Queries -
As you “be with” the radiance of the emanating rays of the pre-dawn sun in the top photo, I invite to to reflect on your own brilliance. What rays of color and light are you projecting out into your world?

Next, as you observe the sandpipers peacefully scurrying away from the waves gently rolling onto the shore and then quickly back again, as the birds search for food, I invite you to reflect on the following:

Are there things in your life from which you typically run away, perhaps viewing them as “threats?” If so, how quickly do YOU get back in the game? Can you relate in anyway to the behavior of the lone sandpiper on whom I’ve focused at the end?

Lastly, should any of these images have an empowering impact on you, I invite you to “grab on to them to hold in your memory bank to call upon when desired.

As always have fun playing with these photos queries. Then please share your experiences with us in the COMMENTS section below.

To experience how this might work for you, send me an email, sheila[at]sheilafinkelstein.com, with Photo/Coaching in the subject line. I will reply with a simple exercise and we’ll set up a mutually convenient phone time for self-empowerment follow through.

I’m taking a quick break from family time to wish you a Joyful, Healthy, Peaceful Prosperous New Year.

The Night Crown Heron seems to be pondering? Reflecting? Have you taken the time to reflect and acknowledge your accomplishments in 2010?

With the spontaneity and freedom of youth, my grandson and granddaughter, along with their cousins from Indiana, are dancing and singing, celebrating the rising sun. I use it here to acknowledge the past year and welcome the upcoming one.

For me, in addition to the light, the photo also exudes warmth. So, I offer it to you now, wishing you light and warmth, wherever you are, during this season.

And, should it be a challenging time for you, I invite you to pause, close your eyes and do some deep breathing.

2 -I wanted to give you the opportunity for early registration into
the now-referred-to-as the “Through and From the Lens Point and Shoot Photocourses” -

Please check the link out.  I would love to be connecting with you on a more direct level, furthering what we see in Picture to Ponder.

I feel blessed to have you in my life. Thank you for being there. May you have a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2010.

On Saturday afternoon we had one of our typical Florida afternoon heavy thunder and lightning rainstorms. Toward the end, when I looked out and noticed the sudden brilliant sunlight, I had the immediate thought that there might be a beautiful rainbow. Looking out my front door I saw that I was right.

I grabbed my camera, and since it was still drizzling, a plastic bag to cover it, and a large umbrella; then took a couple of pictures from underneath the latter, one of which I’ve posted on FlickR. I then pulled my car out of the garage, jumped in and started singing, “I’m forever chasing rainbows,” as I went on a search for some even “better” shots.

I ultimately ended up at the beach, too late for the rainbow there but did see a beautiful sunset. I was reminded that it had also been quite a while since I had experienced sunrise on the beach. With all these “signs” I did go back on Sunday morning. Today’s featured photographs are from that outing.

TODAY’S PHOTOS -
The top photo is a reflection of clouds and sky in the sunglasses hanging on a man’s shirt. It caught my attention as he and his family were walking toward me.

The center photo was taken five minutes before the actual rise of the sun over the horizon, camouflaged by the clouds. Note the richness of the pinks and yellows emanating upward from the sun that had not yet “risen.”

The bottom photograph was taken sixteen minutes after the “official” sunrise. Here we can almost see the sun behind the clouds. I love the reach of the bronze reflections on the surf at the edge of the beach (lower right).

For those who are left wanting to more fully experience the gentle waves lapping against the shore, I uploaded a short video onto YouTube. This was taken a couple of minutes after sunrise. Having come from New Jersey where waves were usually high, it always amazed me when I visited Florida in the summer, years ago, to see how calm and almost waveless the ocean was. Living down here now I’ve learned that this is somewhat seasonal and, of course, bad weather and heavy winds make a difference.

(For those who might be wondering, the sunrise times were found on my favorite sunrise/sunset – moonrise/moonset calendar at SunriseSunset.com)

SELF-REFLECTING QUERIES -
Today’s photographs and stories reflect, in part, “chasing” “something more,” from rainbows to sunrises. With the rainbow, I was looking for a “perfect” unobstructed view of the full rainbow, which I would have had at the ocean.

Only, I was afraid that it would not be there by the time I reached the beach, so I stopped along the way and photographed pieces of it, obscured by wires and other distracting components. In fact, according to other walkers, had I gone straight to be beach, I would have seen what I wanted.

I did spend some time enjoying the sunset and, as I wrote above, decided to go for the sunrise the next day. The sky was beautiful when I got there, about ten minutes before the full rising of the sun. Once there I realized that I “undoubtedly” “missed” the most beautiful part, that visible when the sky was still almost dark.

I am relating all of this mind “chatter”, not because any of it’s “true”; rather, these thoughts are examples of what most of us do to ourselves during large portions of our time – the “would have”, “could have”, “should haves.”

Once open to the flip side, on Saturday night, for me, was the conversation with a woman walking along the water’s edge who shared her experiences of earlier in the evening and then those of the sunrises she usually saw. It was this that had me set my alarm on Sunday.

Then there was the fun and excitement of the discovery of the reflections in the sunglasses and the conversation with the man and his family and their pleasures in that imagery.

Lastly, the rainbow experience wound up having an impact on my selection of a quote prompt in my writing group, winding up as a Writing for Healing blog post – “Rainbow Soul and Tears – Storms in Life.”

We have choices, always… to be in the moment, fully appreciating what’s there, or looking ahead or behind.

I invite you to spend some time in the next day or so, perhaps beyond. Are there places and situations where routinely you are looking far ahead or in the past, missing what’s in the present? If so, perhaps specific intention is missing. Do you always know what it is you are looking for?

Can you set an intention to experience beauty in the moment, declaring whatever is, as beautiful or purposeful?

As always, remember to have fun with this.

My head and my body are still overflowing with the energy I experienced this past weekend at the Niche Affiliate Marketing System Seminar. Today’s photos for me are an expression of that energy. I’m choosing to share some it and if you wish to skip over this section, you’re welcome to simply jump to Today’s Photos and Queries.

During the course of three and a half days, there was a never ending stream of ideas that I, and others, can, and did during the weekend, immediately start implementing in our businesses. Beyond that, I met a couple of people who were either themselves photography experts or connected with some other photographers whom I anticipate adding to the mix I make available to you.

I also had the opportunity to interact with people face-to-face whose courses I’ve taken, books I’ve read and much more. A special blessing for me was meeting and sharing a room with Adela Rubio, whom many of you may know from her programs which I’ve shared here.

Adela and I have been “virtual”, Internet friends for over six years and this is the first time we’ve connected in the same physical space. She also gifted me with a wonderful energy session before we left. I’m sure this is adding to my general overall energy, feeling of accomplishment and focus. Thank you, Adela.

Two other extra-special people connections for me were interacting with Lynn Terry, a top Internet Affiliate Marketer who is knowledgable and generous, almost beyond belief. I’ve been participating in her Elite Forum, now accepting new members.

The other of the “extra-special two” connections was spending time with Ellen Britt whose calls I’ve been on and classes I’ve taken. The ultimate caveat for me was her response to her experience of BANANA SKY DVD and her agreeing to do a video testimonial. Awesome!

You can “meet” many of the course leaders and participants in my NAMS 2 Album I put up on FlickR. Several of the other Self-Starters Weekly Tips Elite Forum members also posted photos, if you’d care to see more – NAMS Workshop Pool.

TODAY’S PHOTOS -
Three golden sunrises at Delray Beach on an October morning.

As I was briefly looking through photos yesterday, these three were the ones that jumped out, immediately resonating with me. I’m seeing them as a representation of the energy of the NAMS weekend.

The top photo is the sunlight spreading upward and outward; the middle, coming down on us all; and the bottom photo, the reflected sun on beach, landing strong and solid as the waves come in, skip over it and ride out.

SELF-REFLECTING QUERIES -
I’ve covered a wide gamut here, with a lot of words, and the photos themselves are so beautiful I invite you to scroll back up to spend another moment or two with them.

Allow the energy emanating from them to wash over you. Be open to the experience.

Should you wish to reflect and query, I invite you to ask yourself, “Where is the light and the power within me?” and, perhaps,

“Where, outside of me, do I find the light and energy that warms and sustains me?”

As always, remember to have fun with this.

BANANA SKY DVD LAUNCH

Ellen Britt lauds Banana Sky DVD:

“Everybody’s eyes were riveted on the screen. This is a very, very unusual presentation…amazing. You’ll never get tired of it.

Just looking at pictures of nature can have a calm soothing effect. For anyone who is undergoing any kind of stress/anxiety situations, this would just be a real gift.”