Eyes Ahead

Sometimes we get a glimpse

Of what lies just ahead

And we get all excited

Or, our hearts are filled with dread.

The tantalizing vision

Which lies just beyond our reach

Has lessons of its own

That it will surely teach

But, for now it is the journey

That leads us ever on

Until we step into that place

Where we have never gone

And witness with our very eyes

Those things which lay before

As we travel through this crazy life

To some far distant shore.

Perspective

Sometimes keeping proper perspective is a matter of examining things through others point of view.  Things look very differently from the bottom looking up than they do from the top looking down.  This is important for managers to keep in mind when they interact with those below, or above, them in a corporate structure.  It is something every employee should consider.

The same could also be said for perspective based on age.  A child sees the world very differently from a teenager who sees it very differently from a young adult and so on until you, hopefully, see the world from the point of the aged who have a wealth of experience from which to draw that has helped to shape their view of things.  Growth and the passage of time changes how one views people, places, things and events.

Wealth is relative, but it also can change ones perspective.  If you are struggling to put food on your table you see the world very differently from someone who can't spend in a year what they make in a day.  Yes, there really are people who have that kind of money; they have no concept of poverty yet, they are often the ones who dictate policy.

When dealing with others, it is important that we take the time to try and understand their perspective.  Doing so has been one of the most valuable things I learned through the years.  It has served me well in management, in sales and in life.  I have to admit that I have not always been successful in my attempt to understand other perspectives, but the effort has always been rewarding.  People respect you for trying if done sincerely.

Conflict sometimes is the result of a failure to understand other perspectives.  When you find yourself in a situation where you are in disagreement with others, spend time seeking to understand their perspective.  Generally it will provide insight into why your views are different and sometimes even provide a pathway to resolving those differences.

The image at the top of this page was taken from an old bridge looking down into the water below at the reflection of the sky above.  In this single image there are three perspectives represented.  The first is from the bridge looking downward.  The second is from the water looking upward.  The third is less obvious, but it is from the bridge looking upward via the reflection in the water.

I think the lesson from the image is that we all will see more clearly if we focus upward.  If we keep our eyes on the Father we aren't looking down on anyone and we all will see essentially the same thing.

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." -- Hebrews 12:2

Building Bridges

Sometimes getting from here to there can be a real challenge.  The obstacles that challenge us often seem insurmountable -- like the Mississippi River which daunted many westward travelers in the early days of our country.  Now bridges, like the one in the photo we took a few years back, span it in many places and thousands of people cross it daily. (Please disregard the cracked windshield.)

Progress takes Explorers but, it also requires Bridge Builders.  In times of disruptive change, Explorers chart the course, but Bridge Builders turn that vision into reality.  They find ways to overcome the obstacles.  They make certain everyone is able to follow the path until what seemed impossible becomes commonplace.

Today, we need lots of Bridge Builders. 

I came to a place where the land did end;

I looked in deep dismay;

I could see across to the other side

Where the land of promise lay.

Before me was a swollen flood

Of waters deep and brown

Full of broken, tattered dreams

Where it had swept them down.

But, then a man beside me stood

Who saw my fear-filled eyes.

He said, "I will make a way

To where the far shore lies."

He called the people waiting there

To listen to his plan

Then led them in a glorious work

To build a solid span

Across the rushing waters deep

Into the Promised Lands.

Because of his great leadership

A mighty bridge now stands.

Vision Requires a Compass

When there are no tracks to show the way

How do you find the trail?

Do you just set out and hope for the best

Or, is that the way to fail?

First you decide where you wish to go

Then keep your compass true

On the path you would take across uncharted seas

To places bold and new.

(Photo taken off Portland Head on the Coast of Maine a few years back.)

Shifting Horizons

Ever evolving
We change with the tides
That move us
inexorably
Onward
To a destination
Only dimly seen
On the horizon.
Yet as we gaze
Ahead into the unknown
The shifting mists
Obscure the vision
Until that which we thought
Would be is now
No longer there.
It has been replaced
By something
Unimagined
And yet unfulfilled
But drawing
Us into itself.