Vantage Point: It’s Not Just About What You Can See, It’s about Where You Stand When You’re Looking

A week or so ago, I had the opportunity to go and support a friend on a leg of her professional journey that she is so worthy of having.  I am super proud of all she was, all she is, and all she is becoming!

Let me first say that I was going to make the trip regardless of what was happening or not happening,  but the simple fact that I was encountering my own brand of discontentment and irritation made this trip one I needed.  It became so much more than a venture to support, it became a venture to resuscitate…..myself.

Where shall I begin!  Let me start by saying that I love flying (most of the time), except for when the pilot gets on the intercom and says slowly, “it appears that we have some minor engine concerns, if you look out the window on your left you’ll see 4 to 5 very skilled individuals checking it out”; (lawwwwd, that’s on my side, have y’all seen the news lately)   Reallllly!!!!  My thoughts were, skilled according to who’s barometer because I know some allegedly skilled people who have no skill.  But alas, all was well and we took off with no problems.

Howeverrrr, during another part of my trip, I was in a row of 3, sitting next to a couple who had either just become one, or they were just really on one, because they could not keep their hands to themselves.  You had to be there….wait, no, maybe it’s best that you weren’t  because I was sitting there like, “ya’ll do know I can see you right”.  Geesh, if only I had a window seat, I could ignore a lot of this friction (literally).  Then, as my luck began to shift…tadaaaaa!!!  On one of my flights I did have a window seat, which brings me to the purpose of this blog post in the first place.  Yes, I can be wordy, but eventually I do make it to my point.

As I looked out of the window, and the process of ascension began, my vantage point became wider and wider.  The span of what I saw at thousands of feet in the air grew exponentially from what I could see from the ground.  Remember, I was in a place of discontentment, but Someone Greater knew that what I needed was a shift in perspective and a reminder that sometimes you have to step out, to step up.

That window seat, showed me a few things that I may have already known, but need to be reminded of nonetheless:

1.  Often times we coast along in a place of comfort looking at the rise of the horizon, but never above it.  Your view is always limited if you choose not to climb above your level of visibility. Our level of sight is not a ceiling, it’s rung…..and in order to see above that horizon, you have to climb.  REFOCUS

2.  As my view of the territory beneath me became larger, it served as a reminder that there is no value in playing small and that there’s absolutely no need to continue to play games in the backyard when you’re gifted enough to play in the arena.  Trust me, if you continue to downplay your abilities, there will always be someone who will let you. You are your only deterrent to your success.  Decide what you want and go for it. AIM

3.  When you step outside of your situation, you realize that it’s really not a situation at all; it’s simply a stepping stone. Step over it, and out of it, right into the place you should’ve been all along…a place of passion and purpose, not complacency and confusion.  Looking out of that window, that small picture became a big picture and those things that were invisible from my vantage point suddenly became visible.  Possibilities exist beyond what our eyes can see.  The key is to have enough faith and courage to step outside of our own boundaries and discover the possibilities that exist outside of our self-imposed barriers.  MAGNIFY

No matter what you encounter, maintain a stance of faith and know that there is always a R.A.M. in the bush!
    (REFOCUS.  AIM.  MAGNIFY)
Song References: Strength, Courage and Wisdom. India Arie

                                                         I can See Clearly Now:  Johnny Nash