You may have heard the story of two gentlemen who shared a hospital room. During the several weeks they were together, they formed a special bond. They would raise each other’s spirits on the bad days by sharing jokes and positive life stories. On the good days, they simply rejoiced in being alive.
The gentleman with the bed near the door told his new friend that he missed watching the sun come up and the activities that could be seen through the hospital room window. So his roommate started a morning ritual of describing the brilliance of the sunrise or the fluffy clouds that would occasionally dot the skies. Soon the gentleman’s descriptions included scenes of daily life. One morning he told of the three blue jays perched on a branch taking flight with wings spread wide open. He told of children tossing a ball back and forth, laughing as they were running in circles. His window view provided his friend with a new scenario to share each day.
As life would have it, the gentlemen by the window died. His friend asked the nurse to move him to the bed by the window so he could see all the sights his friend had described to him. The nurse hesitated and said, “Didn’t you realize your friend was blind? The window faces the brick wall of the next wing of the building. The things your friend described to you were all things he saw from the inside.”
What about you? Do you take time to see the beauty of the world… your world… from the inside? Or are you fixated on the brick wall of daily routine? Viewing our world through a creative set of lenses give us “fresh information” and inspiration that spurs imaginative ideas and fuels resourcefulness. Success is almost always the result of mindset, perspective and what we see, think, and do on the inside rather than what is on the outside.
The most successful people create… even invent… and certainly enhance new views from their “interior” window. The most successful people cultivate and apply an inner-based perspective to their life and their work.
You can and should create… yes, even invent… and certainly enhance new views from your “interior” window. You can and should cultivate and apply an inner-based perspective to your life and work.
Allow me to share a personal example of the tremendous benefits of viewing Your World from the Inside. I am extremely blessed to have traveled extensively throughout America the Beautiful in my Inspirational Vehicle… from north of Seattle to south of San Diego, from north Maine to Key West, Florida, from south Texas to north Minnesota, throughout the heartland of America, and virtually all points between. I have well over 70,000 high quality digital pictures that I have personally taken all across America the Beautiful. All 70,000 plus digital pictures are stored on three separate external hard drives for safe keeping. From time to time I select a location or a specific trip, load the pictures to my laptop, click slideshow and revisit those incredibly beautiful pictures and relive those incredibly wonderful memories.
Far more important and beneficial, on a daily basis I intentionally select and mentally visit a specific national park, historic site, interesting city or one of literally thousands of other beautiful places throughout America the Beautiful. In addition to high quality digital pictures, I have trained myself to take and retain high quality, very detailed mental pictures. Without ever closing my eyes (sometimes I do close them), I can immediately visit thousands of locations and see, experience and describe, in detail, these incredible places all across America the Beautiful.
Video as well… I frequently take detailed mental trips north, paralleling the Pacific Ocean and the beaches of the west coast on highways 5, 1 and 101… from San Diego to Los Angles to San Francisco, through northern California and the great states of Oregon and Washington to the tip of Olympic National Park… summer or winter.
Imagine sitting or taking a leisurely walk in one of the great American National Parks. Now that you are there… seeing, hearing, smelling and experiencing all that is there… spend some time thinking about the challenge, obstacle, opportunity, or issue with which you are dealing. Mentally stay in and continue to experience the national park as you consider and evaluate the issue from the perspective of Glacier, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Arcadia, Everglades, Great Smoky Mountains, Grand Canyon, Arches, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Redwood, Rocky Mountain, Olympic, Grand Teton, Shenandoah, Sequoia, Saguaro or other National Parks.
Based on personal experience, I guarantee that you will have a much different, clearer, long-term and more productive perspective after seriously evaluating an issue from inside the world of Glacier, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Arcadia, Everglades, Great Smoky Mountains, Grand Canyon, Arches, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Redwood, Rocky Mountain, Olympic, Grand Teton, Shenandoah, Sequoia, Saguaro or other National Parks. Words cannot describe how positive and impactful this habit has been on my personal and professional life.
If you have not exposed yourself to these inspiring windows of the world, there is no better time than now. In the meantime, use where you have been and what you have experienced… or access thousands of pictures of each of these windows of the world, online for no cost whatsoever.
The most successful people create… even invent… and certainly enhance new views from their “interior” window. The most successful people cultivate and apply an inner-based perspective to their life and their work. Success is almost always the result of mindset, perspective and what we see, think, and do on the inside rather than what is on the outside.
Join these successful people now… and join them often. You are invited and welcome… see you there…
Note from the author: I would like to thank Pam Bilbrey, co-author of the excellent bookOrdinary Greatness for her contribution to this Tips for Success. Thank you Pam…
