Thinking Out Loud
On Cloud Nine

June 10, 2012
By: Diane Szczepanski

"It is better to have your head in the clouds and know where you are...than to breathe the clearer atmosphere below them and think you are in paradise." ~ Henry David Thoreau

I'm a cloud watcher.

Let me tell you, in my years of looking upward into the atmosphere, I have seen a variety of things float lazily or rush hurriedly by my windows.

Oh, I've seen steam trains, Santa and a slow moving turtle. I think I saw the Energize bunny, but it was gone in a flash, so I can't be certain.

Not too long ago, I saw Elvis.

He performed a moving rendition of his song, "I Believe in the Man in the Sky" and then dissipated back into the heavens before the sighting can be confirmed.

But, my friend Marjorie believes me and that's good enough for me.

Cloud watching is the equivalent of looking at a giant aquarium. It's peaceful and calming. It reduces the blood pressure and relieves tension. It provides a brief mental nap, without literally closing my eyes and putting my head down on my desk.

Which, unsurprisingly, is highly frowned upon at my office.

Staring a couple minutes at the white stuff traveling by my window is the perfect transition exercise for my brain.

It releases stress and clears my head for my next project on deck. Plus, it allows me to flex my imagination muscles and gives my creativity core a daily work-out.

Basically? It's cheap therapy. I highly suggest you try it.

The next time you feel the need for a breather, just take a peek into the big, blue wonder above your noggin'.

I'm happy to share.

And the naysayers who tell you to get your head out of the clouds? Just ignore them. Or tell them about my Elvis sighting.

Everybody loves Elvis.