In our youth, our eyes are wide open to everything around us. The sounds, sights, smells, tastes, and experiences that enrich life. We are veritable sponges, soaking up impressions and possibilities that beg to be explored.
Yet the lessons we hear urge us to focus our thoughts and energy on “becoming successful.” The result, for many, is an ever-narrowing lens. This carries into adulthood and our professional lives as we become experts in our chosen fields.
As we near the end of our work lives, it’s worth noticing how that lens has shrunk. Chapter X calls on us to reverse the process and reopen our eyes to broader possibilities.
Think of the journey from novice to mastery: we start with a wide-angle view and end with microscopic focus. Chapter X is about rediscovery, imagination, possibilities, interests, and ideas.
We need the widest lens to take in the vistas around us. Only then can we begin to see where the next path might lead.
