"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes,
but in having new eyes."
~Marcel Proust
This was inspired by an email exchange with a dear friend who has set out on a new adventure and has moved to another state. He shared photographs of his beautiful new surroundings—his new home is surrounded by mountains and rugged cliffs, evergreen trees, a river flowing by...there is lots of open space and a big blue sky. It's quite breathtaking. As I looked at the photos today I made a funny connection about the idea of 'moving to new territory'—although I haven't gone anywhere, I'm feeling lately that the "landscape" around me has changed completely, like I'm in brand new territory in my experience of life.
I thought about how many times in my life I have moved to a new place in search of something different—and how important the physical landscape has been to me. I've always lived on one coast or the other, and have chosen locations based on the beauty of the land—places near the water, preferably with mountains nearby, and lots of green trees and gardens—always being drawn to the beauty of nature.
In recent years I have become more aware of the importance of exploring the terrain of the inner landscape—and have been discovering new territories within. There has been a new spirit of adventure, a willingness to venture outside my comfort zone and try new things. For example, I've always had a belief that I can't sing, and have felt like the most terrifying place to be is performing on a stage. But I was inspired to join the choral group Joyful Sound, and yesterday I found myself on a stage in front of a rather large audience, standing in the front row of this 50-member group, singing my little heart out. And loving it. That's new territory for me.
There
were moments in the concert when I felt transported, was taken outside
myself and felt one with the music...like when we sang "Blowin' in the
Wind/America", a unique and stirring arrangement of the Bob Dylan
classic. I had chills from head to toe; it was electrifying, like being
plugged into an electric outlet!
What changed? My perspective. Like the wise owl above says, "changing your perspective changes your experience." I may not have the best voice in the world, but I had a strong desire to raise my voice in song in harmony with other people, and I was willing to work at it every day all summer long. I didn't listen to the "old tapes" that have stopped me in the past from even trying.
Today I am grateful for the opportunity to experience life in a whole new way, through willingness to see with new eyes and choosing a new perspective. I can't wait to see what other unexplored regions there are to discover!
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