To be able to focus on the little things can have such a great impact. Looking at something without witnessing its details can make you miss some things you would never know were there. Secrets hiding in the shadows of blindness. Take your time, you are in no rush. Appreciate the small details life has to offer, because you only get one after all. If you blink you will miss it.

A Last Note:
Look at the size of the dinos. Large massive reptiles that roamed the world. However, the eyes love to trick you. Small details give way to bigger meanings. These dinosaurs are merely toys, imitations of the once great creatures of Earth.

I think we spend our whole lives trying to find who we are. Consciously and subconsciously. But how do we do that? I don't know, I'm still figuring it out myself but I think we slowly grow into ourselves as we live and go through different aspects of our life. I think you're right we have to have intention, dedication and invest in our own selves for our own good. “I have already embarked and I can see the shore approaching. Witness.” I have a vision of who I'm becoming and I can see it all coming together.

This week’s prompt made me think a lot about the recent difference in goals between older and younger people. A lot of parents and grandparents place lofty goals upon their children and give advice on how to achieve it, but that advice is along to lines of “put your foot in the door.” Meanwhile, more and more people are having dreams of “having a house” or “being able to do hobbies.” My partner recently got a job working at a fast food place because his father refused to help him with college anymore. He was expected to get a job, any job, in order to continue his education, but when his dad found out the job he had managed to get after months of job searching, he basically reacted as “I know I said any job, but not that one.” One of my main goals in life right now is to get a place to live with my partner and our two cats, and I know if I said that to my parents they would tell me that I should have greater ambitions, like being a successful businessman or a famous designer. I want to focus on the little things, the things that make me happy, but life, society, and family is pushing me to think about perfection.

I believe that the end of this prompt is super important. I find that in a lot of ways I am the one standing in the way of goodness, and happiness for myself. I create roadblocks and difficulties for myself to be able to experience them. This is something I am working on improving and figuring out how to get out of its way.
I find that the lyrics to the song Still Feel by Half Alive resonates with me similar to the way this prompt did.

When I'm furthest from myself (Far away)
Feeling closer to the stars (Outer space)
I've been invaded by the dark (Can't escape)
Trying to recognize myself when I feel I've been replaced
When I'm furthest from myself (Far away)
Feeling closer to the stars (Outer space)
I've been invaded by the dark (Can't escape)
Trying to recognize myself when I feel I've been replaced
I can feel a kick down in my soul
And it's pulling me back to Earth to let me know
I am not a slave, can't be contained
So pick me from the dark and pull me from the grave 'cause
I still feel alive
When it is hopeless, I start to notice
And I still feel alive
Falling forward, back into orbit
So, when I lose my gravity in this sleepy womb
Drifting as I dream, I'll wake up soon
To realize the hand of life is reaching out
To rid me of my pride, I call allegiance to myself
But I can feel a kick down in my soul
And it's pulling me back to Earth to let me know
I am not a slave, can't be contained
So pick me from the dark and pull me from the grave
'Cause
I still feel alive
When it is hopeless, I start to notice
And I still feel alive
Falling forward, back into orbit
Oh, I still feel alive
It is hopeless, I start to notice
Oh, I still feel alive
Falling forward, back into orbit
I can feel a kick down in my soul
And it's pulling me back to Earth to let me know
And this heart that beats inside of me will show
It will show
Floating in outer space, have I misplaced a part of my soul?
Lost in the in-between, or so it seems, I'm out of control
Floating in outer space, have I misplaced a part of my soul?
Lost in the in-between, but it can't keep me asleep for long, 'cause
I still feel alive (I can feel it)
When it is hopeless (It ain't hopeless)
I start to notice (Start to notice)
And I still feel alive (I can feel it)
Falling forward (Falling forward)
Back into orbit (Back into orbit)
Oh, I still feel alive (I can feel it)
When it is hopeless (It ain't hopeless)
I start to notice (Start to notice)
Oh, I still feel alive (I can feel it)
Falling forward (Falling forward)
Back into orbit (Yeah)
I still feel alive (I can feel it)
It ain't hopeless
I start to notice
I still feel alive (I can feel it)
Falling forward (Yeah)
I still feel alive
I still feel alive

This week's prompt felt almost meditative in the way that it was written. Most of the time, I find it really hard to find "my zen" in the midst of the human expectations and responsibilities that have been thrust upon me and everyone else to exists on this planet. It feels like I'm meditating in the middle of a forest fire. I took a painting class last semester and this is exactly what I wanted to portray, in a very literal sense. My painting teacher, however, advised me to create something that felt completely meditative and calm so as to quell the actual fire that was surrounding me, instead of portraying that feeling exactly. I took his advice and created the painting that is attached to this response. If we aren't careful, we might end up engulfed in the flames of existence, burning up under the pressure to be perfect and productive and successful. So sometimes, we need to invite calm and reason into our lives, instead of hyper-fixating on all that is wrong and challenging. If we focus on the small moments and make sure that we are present for us, it allows us to be able to fight the fires that are surrounding us.