What ideas have impacted you the most?
Oliver Wendell Holmes is quoted to have said…
A man’s mind, stretched by a new idea, never goes back to it’s original dimensions.
Now, I remember the first time I learned a concept and it blew my mind….
The world looked different for me as I looked through new eyes…
I felt that amazing sense of wonder and awe that my life wouldn’t be the same…
And excited to explore and live in this new world.
I love this quote because it tells me that what I learn and how I grow is permanent and lasting…
It makes my quest to expand my mind seem worthwhile.
It also suggests to me the power of ideas…
It shows the power of an new idea to expand your mind…
And this power has always fascinated me…
I guess, it’s easy to see how something physical can impact us because it’s tangible, has size and weight… an object, a person… but an idea?
An idea is ethereal, it has no tangible substance or size… but we know it’s powerful…
Powerful enough to change our minds and that’s powerful enough to change our entire world.
When I think of the ideas that have stretched my mind, there are a lot because I’ve intentionally searched for this throughout my life.
To give you some examples… a few easy ones that come to mind are…
PERCEPTION IS PROJECTION.
The idea that we don’t live and react to the world itself, we live in and react to our thoughts about the world.
It’s this concept that’s the reason ideas have the power to change our world!
Another one for me is…
PEOPLE DO THE BEST THEY CAN
Given our upbringing, history, beliefs, perceptions, what we value, and everything else that makes us who we are, we do the best we can.
This idea has given me great respect for people and the ability to understand, forgive and accept others and also myself.
One last example is..
WE ARE ALL ONE
On the quantum level, energetic level, or level of consciousness, we are all one, all connected as parts of a larger whole.
Now, this idea has stretched my mind many times over!
REFLECTION
So, the purpose of today’s question is simply for you to take a moment of reflection, and consider the big ideas that have most impacted you and your way of looking at life (your personal philosophy).
Why?
- To reconnect with these ideas and experience their power once again.
- To appreciate how these ideas have impacted you and your life over time since you learned of them.
- To renew your sense of wonder, awe and excitement at the life we life in.
- And maybe to spark the desire to, once again, search for the next big idea!
So, here are some questions to ponder…
- What ideas have impacted you the most?
- What ideas stretched your mind so the world looked different to you?
- What ideas form the core of how you see the world and approach life (your personal philosophy)?
- What ideas do you repeatedly use?
That’s it for this episode…
I hope you’ve been able to experience some wonder and awe at the power of ideas and the ability of our minds to change our world.
And I wish you all the best in your quest for your next big idea!
