WHAT DO YOU SEE?
Every so often, we come across this question and what is our response?
Let’s get started with the question “What do you see?” And here are two or maybe three answers:
FEAR
OPPORTUNITY
NOTHING
Here’s what FEAR might look and what it can do
A few weeks ago, I went for a little sightseeing along the Pacific Ocean. As we approached I saw overwhelming water and waves slamming against each other with loud noises.
At that point, the tour for me ended even before it started. I was scared and I wanted to go home! I saw nothing good and so I wanted to turn back! That is the downside of fear. It stops us from trying or seeing the good side of things and according to Ralph Waldo Emerson in his quote,
“Fear defeats more people than any other thing in the world.”
Don’t get me wrong, there are good fears which stop us from doing things or going into places that can harm us.
Here’s what OPPORTUNITY might look like and what it can do
A man named Jeff Clark looked and saw the waves differently. He saw an opportunity to achieve potential.
Jeff is a noteworthy big-wave surfer, famous for surfing Mavericks ‘alone for 15 years’ before it was widely discovered by the big-wave surfing community.
What Mavericks looks like and what it can do
“Mavericks is a renowned surfing location and after a strong winter storm in the northern Pacific Ocean, waves can routinely crest at over 25 ft (8 m) and top out at over 60 ft (18 m). Routinely, waves that break can be recorded on seismometers”.
Change of Heart
After hearing Jeff’s story, reading and understanding more; I had a change of heart and began to see opportunities. Here’s one of the questions that came to my mind.
– What can I learn from this experience and how can I apply it to my personal and professional life?
Before I conclude, let’s look at the third possible answer to the question, “What do you see?” NOTHING!
Here’s what NOTHING might look like and what it can do
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Exactly, an empty line. Nothing is nothing and there’s nothing to be said. Or is there?
In conclusion, I think the problem is not ‘what we see’ but ‘how we see things.’ So, there’s POWER in PERCEPTION.
Now what about you?
- What do you see or rather how are you perceiving it? Fear or Opportunity?
- As an educator, how might the POWER of PERCEPTION affect the way students’ learn and how can this inform the way to teach?
Stay ahead! Make Little Changes for Academic Success!
Margaret
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