Since the first day I read the following quote, I have gone back to it again and again: “Change is not about understanding new things or having new eyes; it’s about seeing old things with new eyes - from different perspectives.” - Dee Hock, Founder & CEO Emeritus, Visa International. This single sentence has been the source of much learning, unlearning, and relearning.
As I have shared in many roundtables, workshops and seminars over the years, awareness is not understanding. And I have learned from walking a path with heart that understanding is always a gateway to new perspectives, especially when it comes to “seeing old things with new eyes - from different perspectives.”
When we commit to a path with heart, we will, over time, have to reframe things, especially what has happened in the past, what is happening in the present, and what might happen in the future.
Given the trauma I experienced at a young age, I have been in regular therapy for many decades. It has been a sanctuary and my long term therapist has been one of my sanctuary people. From our decades of exploration and sharing, I have learned that naming something changes that something, and in the process it changes me as well. By naming it and defining what it means, I can see it and I can choose how to engage with it rather than react to it. For when I have a name for what I experienced in the past, or for what I am experiencing in the present, I have the ability to process it and decide how to move forward. This is one of the gifts of sanctuary people and to having a healthy community of fellow travelers.
Another lesson learned when committing to a pathway with heart is the recognition that my perspectives on issues will continually evolve over time. What I understood about myself and others a decade ago is not what I understand today. What I understand today will not be what I understand five years from now. I have learned and slowly become comfortable with the idea that once I have figured something out, I will more likely have to abandon it for an even better and hopefully more holistic perspective. By being continually open to this level of evolution in my thinking and understanding, I strengthen my ability to stay focused on the path and the people who make this pathway most meaningful and special.
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