Choice Versus Narrowmindedness

Look at this picture. What do you see?

You see colorful flowers blooming, right?

Now, look at this picture and what do you see?

Each of us will react to the view differently. Some might see the flowers and the beauty in their form and color. Others will see just the prickly spines and think "ouch, that thing could hurt!" Even more might view the photograph as an oddity and be grateful it did not grow in their backyard. And a very few might look at this and say "aha, look at the vibrant life growing out of nothing. Amazing!"

In the first photo it was shown to you through a pinpoint of what I wanted you to look at. In the second, I widened the view and let you determine how to view it. I gave you choice.

We do the same with life. Whether it be from the instances we are part of, the things we read, or the conversations we hear, we react to them based upon our own experiences, expectations and ideas. Choice versus narrowmindedness.

As children we see life through open eyes. We take in anything and everything around us and try to absorb it all. Our innate curiosity makes it that so that we need to know and have answers. Once we have an answer, we have more questions, which require more answers, giving way to more questions, etc. Adults around them are patient to a point. The inevitable answer of "because I said so" will ring out and a child's world is then stifled for a moment. If they hear that phrase enough, they will become agitated, and find another way to get their answer, or accept it and forget they had a question to begin with.

As we grow we begin to narrow our visions from the bigger pictures in life. Eventually, most of us will forget there ever was a bigger picture and narrow our sites onto only what we choose to see; or see only the parts of the whole that were thrust upon us.

As my wonderful daughter pointed out to me years ago, there is more to life than what lies before us. Look up and see the landscapes surrounding you. The horizon is simply the end of our vision, but it really never stops. It keeps going. If you move farther towards it, the views change and you are given a different perspective. You can walk your whole life towards that horizon and never see the exact same thing twice.

Maybe it's time more people step out of their comfort zone and realize that there is more to life, people and ideas than what we think. Maybe it's time to start seeing the world and all it offers through the eyes of a child again.

Is it time for you to take off the lens cap in your mind and look around? Or are you afraid of what you might see.