I was coming into the barn from the outside, actually, I was walking into a stall, where Calvin was quietly eating his hay. I let him know I was close to his hind end, and when I saw that he saw me, I came beside him. As I did, I happened to glance at his tail, where I saw this “hitchhiker.”

Can you see it? It was an adorable ladybug, just hanging out getting a free ride. I chuckled as I noticed it, this tiny bit of orange amidst the black…A different version of “Orange Is The New Black” TV show!
And I wondered, if that had been any other kind of bug, I most likely would have shooed it off of his tail. But, because ladybugs are so cute, I just let it stay where it was.
For me, bugs this time of year are a pain. They are making their last “hurrah” before the cooler weather puts an end to their days. I don’t like them around my horses, and I do the best I can to limit their presence in the barn. And yet, with this bug, all orange and speckled, my perspective was different. I actually enjoyed seeing it.
It brought back memories of when I was younger and would go on a ladybug hunting excursion and place them in shoeboxes. The addition of grass and stones, I thought, would sustain them. Of course, in that day, we did not have the internet to find out what they ate. We had things called encyclopedias-huge books where we had to look up the description of the bug and its food sources!
As I continued my chores in the barn, I thought about how noticing something can immediately alter one’s point of view. I love to be surprised when I am able to notice, and it creates a positive shift within me. I actually look for those times during the day.
Years ago, I made a “pact” with God. Every time I saw a cardinal, with its beautiful flash of vivid redness, I decided I would utter a “thank you”. A moment of gratitude is what it turned into being. In that small way, I was also shifting my perspective. I do not think it is ever possible to be too thankful! And, shifting our perspectives many times during the day never needs to get dull, or old, or boring. On the contrary, I think it is a way to keep our days filled with wonder, gratitude and awe.
So…What do YOU notice? How is YOUR persepctive shifting? We want to know!!