Not long ago a lynx came out of my neighborhood and crossed the street in front of me while I was riding my bike. It happened on a shaded part of the road near a park; I stopped and stared in awe with wide eyes. I live on the Atlantic coast of Florida, in an area that I consider heavily occupied by humans, especially in winter which was when this event occurred, so seeing a wild cat on a usually well traveled road was startling. Internet research later revealed that lynx are not uncommon in populated Florida areas; but while their tracks are plentiful, actual sightings of the animal are very rare. Part of this is because they are graceful and stealthy in movement and their coloring acts as camouflage. But I wonder if a large part of their invisibility is because people don't expect to see wild animals in their neighborhoods and therefore don't see them even when they are present.
There is a scene in the movie "What the Bleep" that describes a Caribbean tribe's inability to see Spanish ships on the horizon because the tribe did not have the concept of a large boat that could ride on the water. Once the idea was introduced to them by a shaman who saw the ripples in the water and was able to expand his mind to the new concept, they could all see the ships. I think of Einstein noticing ripples in the universe and opening his mind to new ways of viewing and understanding. I wonder what is going on around us every day that we do not see because our minds are not open to the perception. What amazing phenomenon occur daily outside our awareness? I wonder how many times I miss seeing something because I do not have the vision that allows me to see it.
When I sit with my own questions, something I often ask myself is "what are my choices here?" Whether it is conscious or unconscious, humans tend to see what we expect to see, that which is in our anticipation and awareness. Many of us have had the experience of coming into contact with an unfamiliar car, and afterwards noticing that make of car on every corner. Likewise, if we anticipate a particular behavior from someone, odds are good that we will see it frequently. If we expect ourselves to fail, or be unloved, or not get what we want, it is likely we will see it happen that way. In a previous tidbit I wrote about how the human mind fills in the details of a situation to fit what we think is right and appropriate, to manifest 'our story' about what we believe to be true. So if we decide that something is a certain way, it is that way for us as the result of our perception and co-creation. In his book, Man's Search For Meaning, Viktor Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist and concentration camp survivor, wrote about "the last of the human freedoms", the ability " to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way". And so, consciously using my best human freedom, I remind myself to choose to be open to possibility, to see events as opportunities, and to cultivate an attitude of awareness and appreciation for what is around me. As a result, I am gifted to see a lot of things that I previously missed: beautiful wild cats, miracles, synchronicities, sunsets, and significant evidence that leads me to believe things unfold in perfect divine order. May you see what you need to see.
There is a scene in the movie "What the Bleep" that describes a Caribbean tribe's inability to see Spanish ships on the horizon because the tribe did not have the concept of a large boat that could ride on the water. Once the idea was introduced to them by a shaman who saw the ripples in the water and was able to expand his mind to the new concept, they could all see the ships. I think of Einstein noticing ripples in the universe and opening his mind to new ways of viewing and understanding. I wonder what is going on around us every day that we do not see because our minds are not open to the perception. What amazing phenomenon occur daily outside our awareness? I wonder how many times I miss seeing something because I do not have the vision that allows me to see it.
When I sit with my own questions, something I often ask myself is "what are my choices here?" Whether it is conscious or unconscious, humans tend to see what we expect to see, that which is in our anticipation and awareness. Many of us have had the experience of coming into contact with an unfamiliar car, and afterwards noticing that make of car on every corner. Likewise, if we anticipate a particular behavior from someone, odds are good that we will see it frequently. If we expect ourselves to fail, or be unloved, or not get what we want, it is likely we will see it happen that way. In a previous tidbit I wrote about how the human mind fills in the details of a situation to fit what we think is right and appropriate, to manifest 'our story' about what we believe to be true. So if we decide that something is a certain way, it is that way for us as the result of our perception and co-creation. In his book, Man's Search For Meaning, Viktor Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist and concentration camp survivor, wrote about "the last of the human freedoms", the ability " to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way". And so, consciously using my best human freedom, I remind myself to choose to be open to possibility, to see events as opportunities, and to cultivate an attitude of awareness and appreciation for what is around me. As a result, I am gifted to see a lot of things that I previously missed: beautiful wild cats, miracles, synchronicities, sunsets, and significant evidence that leads me to believe things unfold in perfect divine order. May you see what you need to see.
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