The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn, the bird waits in the egg, and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities. — James Allen

My dreams are coming true.

Dreams I didn’t even know I had.

I need to spend some time dreaming bigger. Not like those ‘hey you, loser – yes you – buy my book/course/dvd and you’ll be more’ self development infommercials. It’s more along the lines of not limiting my dreams to the kinds of things that I know can happen and start to think about some more interesting, more exciting (at least to me) options.

Even the oaks make these wildly vibrant lime green leaves in Spring. Talk about inspiring. They change them for other ideas later in the season. And then in autumn, some oaks go with vibrant reds, others work with tans. Beautiful. Thank you, oak.

Time for new ideas. More writing.

Manifesto
34. Every day focus on your dreams.
37. Every day fight for what’s worth fighting for. Pick your battles.
46. Every day you can change your thoughts.

I launch a mini blitz on the office. I like an organised work space. Some times I achieve an organised work space for minutes at a time. I don’t really relate to the culture of stark, sterile work spaces – I appreciate some people are like this, but I think a little bit of clutter lets in space for fragments of creativity to creep in around the edges. Infecting this kind of a culture seems like a good thing. I still try for a more organised space. It’s a work in progress.

Manifesto
04. Every day is an opportunity to cultivate the promise of the future.
16. Every day looking at the order of things gives you power.
22. Every day refine, clarify and simplify.

When Spring finally takes hold, this oak tree is likely to be covered in the vibrant lime green of new growth. Likely, but not a guarantee – trees have their own seasons measured with a subtlety beyond our rush-rush human measures. There’s a season for us all. Some things we give up to make the change, others we ease into and take more on board with. We’re all changing, all the time. It’s all happening. It’s just not always that obvious. Thankfully.

Manifesto
02. Every day is an opportunity for a new beginning.
25. Every day your light shines for others to see.
40. Every day give things a chance to work out.

Early this afternoon a deeply evil looking cloud rolled across Wellington from the south. Soon after, in addition to the outbursts of lightning and loud thunder, hail the size of chick peas hammered the roofs and roads. It was quite entertaining watching the unfortunate drivers trying to manage the suddenly rather dangerous roads.

Whatever plans the drivers had, there was suddenly a new set of plans to be made.

Across the road, students were throwing hail as though it was snow. Down the slopes, courier drivers were trying to get their vans running. Office workers were out having a quick and cold cigarette. Others were taking photos.

Same for me – I had to make a photo or two while the beauty was fresh.

Manifesto
30. Every day use all your senses. Touch. Smell. Taste. Hear. See.
38. Every day be brave and give things a go. Use fear to trigger you into action.
48. Every day there are things you can’t change. You can change the way you think about them and deal with them.

I love kowhai – I’d plant them everywhere if I could. I love the dappled shade caused by the lacy foliage, the seed pods, and the yellow seeds. But most of all, I love the spring-ness of them. They flower in early Spring.

My Mum used to talk about the ‘Kowhai Floods’ – as a child the area she lived in was prone to flooding in late Winter / early Spring, as a result of the heavy rains in the short, sharp slopes of the Tararuas. Mum’s observations became part of the tradition for us to plant potatoes after the ‘Kowhai Floods’ – probably after the last frost.

Manifesto
36. Every day be still. Connect to your inner being. Listen and be guided by it.
42. Every day celebrate. Who you are. What you have achieved. Things that matter to you.
49. Every day is a good day.

There’s another terrific thing about having friends who see things in other ways. There’s a universe of sounds, sights, and smells out there that we don’t always notice, or take the time to pay attention to, let alone to enjoy. If you’ve got a friend who can show you something new to hear, see, or smell, your perception of the world expands to a whole new horizon. It helps you feel better about yourself too, experiencing new things in new ways. And being out, on a bright and beautiful morning, with a friend, on Lyall Bay beach.

Manifesto
01. Every day is a fresh new day.
05. Every day is now. The present moment.
14. Every day the ordinary can be the extraordinary.

My office overlooks our city’s Civic Square. It is the most spectacular view. Every day as I look out any of the numerous windows that line the walls I always take the time to soak in the moment and feel grateful. These windows are living picture frames. The natural, every day art works enclosed within these rectangles always move me in some way. I am forever grabbing my camera to try and capture the memory of what I see before me but none of these photos ever truly do justice to the experience of what I see and feel.

Today as I was working away one of my colleagues told me to look out the window. I saw an older couple walking across the square holding hands. They seemed so in tune and connected with one another. They looked like they loved and cared for one another. I found myself smiling as I watched them walk.

“That’s what you and Lynsey will be like,” my colleague said to me.

As I reflected on this scene I remembered a poem Lynsey and I read to each other on our wedding day – Let’s grow old together.

Let’s grow old together …
beginning with today.
Let’s work slowly with each other and build a relationship that we can both enjoy being a part of.
Let’s share love and understand that neither of us is perfect; we are both subject to human frailties.
Let’s hold each other close and whisper though the night – pledging our love, honouring our commitment.
Let’s encourage each other to pursue our dreams, even when we’re weary from trying.
Let’s expect the best that we both have to give and still love when we fall short of our expectations.
Let’s be friends and respect each other’s individual personality and give one another room to grow.
Let’s be candid with each other and point out strengths and weaknesses.
Let’s understand each other’s personal philosophy, even if we don’t agree.
Let’s lie awake long into the night sharing our innermost secrets.
Let’s be friends as well as lovers.
Let’s laugh at time and plan with each other and wonder how we ever got along without this love we’ve found.
Let’s never take for granted these moments that we’ve shared, but always be reminded of how intensely we have learned to live, how completely we have learned to love.
Let’s grow old together…
and look back on life and smile.
- Braxton Brown and Peggy Smith

Manifesto
03. Every day is an opportunity to reflect on the past.
04. Every day is an opportunity to cultivate the promise of the future.
05. Every day is now. The present moment.

Except this one.

There were no white irises planted in our garden as far as I’m aware. We’ve never had white iris flowers in this spot before. So, where did this mysterious one come from? My guess is, it’s as a result of the unprecedented snow fall we had a couple of weeks back – somehow the snow transformed the usual dark velvety blues into crisp white. Suburban magic!

Manifesto
02. Every day is an opportunity for a new beginning.
08. Every day choose to bring about change.
32. Every day have a laugh.

I go for a walk at lunch time – fresh air and blood moving – some energy to get through the afternoon. As I’m walking I wonder what the rest of the world is up to. There’ll be the usual bad things, of course, amplified one moment by the media, forgotten a few seconds later. And there will be as many, if not more, good things to be found in the moment.

Where are you right now? Exactly where, exactly right now?

Are you seeing what you want to see? Or are you seeing what you always see?

I often retreat to my inner jungle. It’s pleasantly warm there. The sun is always rising. The plants are beautiful – fragrant, lush. The animals are starting to move around. I feel as though I’ve been away on the longest journey and it feels so good to be back.

Manifesto
05. Every day is now. The present moment.
14. Every day the ordinary can be the extraordinary.
19. Every day make time for yourself.

From my roller-coaster life I absolutely salute anyone who can hold down an intense job and home life and photo/write every day – it’s a big ask. If you are that person, can you at least not be slim, beautiful, have a great personality, rich in every respect, and love orphan kittens? If so I may have to remove you from the gene pool.

My mind is not entirely made up about what next for Fresh New Day – I want to explore some stories in greater depth, and I have a couple of other projects I’m considering as well, some ideally a little more collaborative. Meanwhile I’m set in my routine of making at least one photo a day, and ideally, writing in the same flow.

Some days I wonder if anybody is even faintly interested in what I’ve seen in the day, much less read my thoughts. And then when you least expect it, you trip over someone who talks about your work – likes it even – and suddenly you can go another day. Thank you all for your contacts, contributions, encouragement, and support.

Manifesto
01. Every day is a fresh new day.
20. Every day say thank you.
25. Every day your light shines for others to see.