The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.
-- Marcel Proust
Man’s experience is the logical outcome of his inner vision; his horizon is limited to the confines of his own consciousness.
--The Science of Mind, page 448
Fresh Perspective
I recently watched a documentary film entitled, A. Einstein: How I See the World. The video discussed Albert Einstein’s intellectual perspective, calling him an "intuitive scientist." The film made three powerful points about how he approached science. First, they said that he had great trust in the idea that truth is always going to be simple and elegant. In fact, although he published his first paper on the theory of relativity in 1905, the mathematics to prove it were not worked out for another 14 years, with most of the ongoing work being done by other scientists. Throughout those years, Dr. Einstein kept his faith in the truth of his beautiful, simple theory. Second, Dr. Linus Pauling, interviewed for the film, said that Einstein was known for his totally fresh perspective. He said Albert began as a child asking questions such as, "What would it be like to ride on a motorcycle by the earth at the speed of light?" Pauling said Einstein’s continuing to ask those kind of questions into his adulthood gave him access to brilliant new ways of looking at the existing universe, uninfluenced by others’ viewpoints that some problems are unsolvable. Third, friends reported that Albert did much of his best thinking while walking after lunch in his garden, or sailing his boat on a lake near his home.
We can approach life from a similar, intuitive perspective. Consider asking yourself questions that stretch your ability to imagine. What would it be like for me to experience joy right now? What does eternal feel like? Who do I love today? Who am I, really? All it takes some days is a change in perspective to discover heaven right where we are. Can we remember to trust deeply the simplest, most beautiful aspects of life?
Today I choose to look at my world with new eyes. I discover wonder in my back yard, deep love right here with my family and friends. I already have an abundance of good, and for this fresh perspective, I give great thanks.
Connee Chandler, RScP
Published 11/16/01 SOM Magazine, p. 52
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