Are these my glasses...other vision issues...and Johnny Nash {Day 16}

On a recent weekend trip, one of my friends picked up another friend’s glasses and wore them. She left the hotel room with them on, never noticing a difference, said she could see perfectly well. Apparently, the other woman could not see as well, and did notice rather quickly.

The situation was resolved without incident…but it put a bug in my head.

My first thought was this…what if we really could see through other people’s glasses or eyes, even for a day?

We think we understand.

We think people are being stubborn or selfish or rude. Maybe we cast aspersions without having any idea about the circumstances another is enduring.

I heard a story of a pastor on a subway late one evening. A man and his 4 children got on. The children were not behaving well and the father paid them no mind. Other passengers moved away from them. The pastor was irritated because the kids should have been in bed and the father was not controlling them. Then one of the children fell into the pastor’s lap and started crying. Taking the boy in his arms, the father apologized to the pastor. He said, “I’m sorry. We just came from the hospital where their mother died. I have no idea how to raise them alone.”

If only we could see…

OR we think people are deliriously happy and we are missing out.

We look in the windows as we drive past and make up stories about how miserable we are compared to others.

We pity ourselves because everyone else has it so much better.

If only we could see...

And this doesn’t happen only with strangers.

As much as I would like, I can’t crawl inside the head of people I love, and they can’t crawl into mine.

So we misunderstand. Our feelings get hurt. We might get scared.

If only we could see…

My second thought was this – a quote from Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach:

Don't believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding, find out what you already know, and you'll see the way to fly.

Wouldn’t that be great? If we could, even for a moment, step beyond what our eyes tell us, and see the true – perhaps future - reality of a situation.

See how things could be…FEEL how things could be.

Wouldn’t that be motivational?

If we could FEEL the difference when we lose the weight.

If we could FEEL the difference when we no longer have the weight of debt.

If we could FEEL the difference when the book is written, the degree completed, the goal met.

Read these words out loud: Look with your understanding, find out what you already know, and you'll see the way to fly.

Believe in the dreams you have, in spite of what your eyes see.

Believe in the dreams someone else has with and for you, in spite of – in spite of! Because circumstances change…but giving up on a dream stays with you forever.

And one more thought that popped into my head:

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone

I can see all obstacles in my way,

Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind

It’s gonna be a bright, bright, bright sunshine-y day.

Uh huh – you are singing that ALL day now.

You’re welcome.

We will talk again tomorrow…

BP

I’m participating with The Nester in 31 Days of Examining My Heart.

This is Day 16.

You can find all 31 Dayers here. There are so many wonderful topics.

If you miss any days in the series, you can find the introduction and each day's post here.

Beth Painter is a writer and motivational speaker. You can follow her on Facebook on the “Think Big focus small” page.

Beth is available to speak to your group about how to make your dreams and desires come to life!