I recently returned from a trip to Antarctica onboard a luxury cruise ship where I had the privilege of being one of the guest speakers. We saw some amazing wildlife as well as the rugged coastline, icebergs and experienced the cold winds that blow unheeded in that part of the world.
One of the other speakers onboard was astronaut Dr Jeffrey Hoffman, who gave some fascinating lectures about his experience of observing Earth from orbit, and making spacewalks as part of NASA’s initial rescue and repair mission for the Hubble Space telescope. He talked eloquently about how wondrous it is to observe the earth from space, and that it was his favourite pastime – just watching the world go by.
Listening to Dr Hoffman’s stories whilst being in Antarctica, reminded me of the value that a different perspective can bring. When we are often rushing about at work, with little time to relax or have meaningful conversations, we can forget the bigger context in which we all live on this planet. Antarctica is the last place on earth that belongs to no-one, and space of course is similar. From that neutral viewpoint, we can see things differently, and remind ourselves of what is truly important to be paying attention to.
So today, why not take some time to get a different perspective on your world. You could ask for feedback from someone who knows you well, but you have never thought to ask before. Or maybe look at your situation through the eyes of a colleague, family member or friend and think about what they observe. Making time to observe from a new vantage point may just help you see things differently from before.
