Awesome Alchemist

A Student of The Ancient Art of Combining Ordinary Matters into Something Awesome

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I don’t fly much, but when I do I prefer to sit by the window. I know many people would rather sit by the aisle because they get a little more shoulder room and have easy access to the restroom, but not me. One reason that I like the window seat is because I can lean against the wall if I decide to take a nap, but the biggest reason is that I am fascinated by how different things look from 30,000 feet. I can see for hundreds of miles and I get the chance to see things in a way that I never could from the ground. Things like how carefully the roads are laid out in a grid and just how many roads, towns and houses there are, even in remote areas. Looking at the clouds from above is like no other view on earth, but today it reminded me of what it must be like to be floating in the arctic ocean amongst the icebergs.

When I wake from one of my plane naps I always wonder “where are we?”. I try to guess based on the topography, the rivers and lakes and the population density. But from high above I have know way of knowing the names of the cities I see or who lives there. I can see the “big picture” but I miss out on the details.

Too often in life we become trapped by the view we have available and mistake it for the only view that exists. Employees may fail to realize that they are part of something bigger and executive sometimes don’t notice the little people below. We all take things for granted.

Today, take the time to find a way to change your perspective, if only for a moment. What have you been missing?