getting grounded

In my 41 years I have sometimes questioned when it’s best to stay grounded and when it’s best to soar. Seeing the efficiency of both I wonder which is the best way to travel my path? I’m not sure there is really one right way to do it. I have been told however if you don’t find the strength and stability in your roots, the flying isn’t nearly as effective (or liberating). I think there’s something to that.

With most things, I’m pretty sure there’s a balance to be found. A place where being grounded and taking flight compliment one another; where our strength, beauty, courage and passions come together and equally thrive.

I finally saw the movie Wall-E last night. I loved everything about it. And like many great movies, the song that played when the credits rolled cracked the code for me.

...We’re coming down to the ground
There’s no better place to go
We’ve got snow up on the mountains
We’ve got rivers down below

We’re coming down to the ground
We hear the birds sing in the trees
And the land will be looked after
We send the seeds out in the breeze...

I bid you best wishes today, the first day of 2009. A new beginning. Here’s to digging deep, finding our roots and sending our seeds out in the breeze.

Have you found a mantra (photographically or otherwise) to share with us on this bright new day?

The remaining giveaway winners will be listed in tomorrow’s post.

Comments

[Bridge]

happy new year, it is tough to know when to ground and when to soar, I feel more clear on this the older I get-

[Chris]

Being in my 40s has been awesome and this song I like to think of as my 'theme' song. My kids love it and we listen to it EVERY SINGLE MORNING on the way to school or if one of us is having a 'bad' day. Trust me. Once you hear it, you'll latch on, too. Happy New Year, Tracey.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbkysd9mQho">This is my mantra. </a>

[Chris]

Not sure why that last link didn't work right, but here's the correct link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbkysd9mQho

[Marcie]

Stand on your head...and when you return to earth..you'll find a whole other world awaiting:
http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=643
HAPPY 2009!!!!

[cindy k]

i just adored that movie and will probably watch it a hundred times. the message is simple and clear. i suppose my mantra is to 'just try it'. sometimes, i think i have 'i want to do that, too' syndrome and it takes me off course. this year, i'll try to stick with a few things and try to do them thoroughly well. happy new year!

[shelli]

Happy New Year! I love what you wrote. I posted the opposite kind of photo this morning:

http://www.mamaofletters.com/Site/The_Focal_Point/Entries/2009/1/1_Happy_New_Year.html

[Charlane]

Happy New Year - in order to soar we do have to know where we came from and where we're going to.

"Come to the edge.
We might fall.
Come to the edge.
It's too high!
Come to the edge.
And they came,
and we pushed,
And they flew."
~~ Guillaume Apollinaire

[patty craft]

choose love. i think we have two choices: love or fear. hold your arm out and make a fist (that is fear). now hold your arm out and open your hand and turn your palm toward the heaves ... that is love. I choose love.

[jfrancis]

God made earth
to hold our footprints
and the stars___
to entice our hearts.

[ELK]

hello shutter sisters ~ welcome 2009

I find such meaning in trees::
http://www.redorgray.com/2008/12/slow-down-by-redorgray-on-flickr.html

[Caitlin]

Couldn't have said it better myself...

[Julie Marie]

Happy New Year Shutter Sister friends. I'm glad I found this place... it's been a wonderful stepping stone to many things.

This year I've picked one word that I will live by all year round.

[suganthi]

Loved reading this.

My mantra for the year: Celebrate each day, gather all the tiny moments of joy, seemingly quotidian moments, but in reality little bits of joy, hold it close, bundle it, and treasure it with gratitude and smile.

[abbey]

Happy New Year!
Super Post!!

[Kacey]

Wonderful post. I'm going to try and live by this quote in 2009:

"Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and why." ~Eddie Cantor

Now I must go find the Wall-E movie to watch!

[lisa]

My Mantra(s) for the year is:
Slow Down

[Kimberly]

loved this - actually wrote all about it this morning as my first post of the year~
xo

mimicharmante.blogspot.com

[Puna]

This year, I'm determined to take my photography to another level. I am determined to learn as much as I can, to challenge myself and to take risks. I'm also committed to learning from my mistakes...

http://lifesignatures.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/you-handled-it-well/
http://lifesignatures.wordpress.com/2008/10/08/how-not-to-die/

Last year, I discovered a passion for photography. This year, I hope to learn to respect the art of photography and the subjects on whom I practice the art. But I'm determined also to have fun...

http://lifesignatures.wordpress.com/2008/10/09/grassmy-new-high/

[shelby]

My Mom would always tell me

"Reach for the stars, but remember to keep one hand playing in the dirt"

Thank you Shutter Sisters for all the inspiration! Looking forward to 2009!

[Kirsten]

As we were reading my son his bedtime story last night, this quote caught my eye and I decided it would be my mantra for the new year...from "I like me" by Karen Beaumont...

"No matter if they stop and stare,
no person
ever
anywhere
can make me feel that what they see
is all there really is to me."

Happy New Year sisters!!

[Lu]

No mantra at the moment. But, I do have a word....Flow. It will be my word for the year.

[Mary Jo]

Thank you for this wonderful site (which I found through the lovely Mrs. French at Bliss). I've been reading the posts lately and am always moved. My mantra this year is to sleep. That's right, to take time to recharge. It's one of my biggest failings. I love your post today -- to be close to the earth this time of year just seems right. I'm off to garden

xo Mary Jo

[maz]

New Year's always fills me with fear and optimism in equal measure. As usual Shutter Sisters have tipped me towards the positive. To read about everyone's mantras has been hugely uplifting.

Here is mine....'If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.....' (Baz Luhrman)
All will become clear.... promise!

http://divingforpearls.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/01/sunscreen-.html

[Jennie]

How weird is that...I just saw Wall-E for the first time last night, too, and I absolutely loved the closing song!

[claudia]

I've been thinking about the power of words for this up coming year.
http://gnubee.wordpress.com/2008/12/31/wordfull-wednesday-the-end/
Happy New Year Shutter Sisters!

[Wanda]

The biggest challenge this year was getting today's post posted! Now that I am through the technical difficulties and it is still 1/1/09, here is mine:

http://whatwouldwandado.blogspot.com/2009/01/2009-i-love-first-love-thursday.html

[Mod GIrl]

I am filled with "bright hope" this new year.

http://modobjectathome.blogspot.com/2008/12/bright-hope.html

[Steph Wiese]

I always feel free the moment I remind myself, "It is what it is" and I just let life teach me what I need to learn.

http://stephwiese.squarespace.com/

[alisa]

so, i've only just begin to lurk around the site, but i'm very excited for what the year has in store. thank you, very much.

[golightly]

Beautifully stated Tracey, happy New Year to you and all the "Shutter Sisters"!

Wasn't Wall-E the best?

[renee @ FIMBY]

I"m ready to FLY this year. I'm not sure why but this one word has been lodged in my brain for the last couple weeks. I'm a very grounded person, literally. I love earth, dirt, compost, gardening... buy baby I want to soar. NOt sure sure where I"m soaring to, I suppose the coming year will tell.

[Christine]

What a great post to start off the New Year. I actually just posted about what my goals and projects for the year are and well, my mantra is simply this" follow my bliss"....

Happy New Year!