I was jogging in the park today and began looking up at the trees to enjoy all the gorgeous, rich leaf colors. I noticed how light my head felt, how smooth it felt to jog. Since I was focused quite a bit above the ground and also a bit further ahead, the scenery moved slower past me, and the bouncing sensation of jogging became less evident. It felt as if I were floating along, rather than pounding the pavement, or asphalt in this case.

Enjoying the new view, I continued with my sight set high throughout my run. My mood also felt lighter, influenced by the floating scenery and apparent soft flow of time.

I wondered if others might experience the same thing. Suppose everyone looked more at the sky, the clouds and high up into the trees, instead of staring at the all too familiar scenes right before us? Give it a try. You don’t need to look straight up!! Just gaze slightly up and further ahead than you usually do. You see more information, a wider picture. You feel more in control, better prepared by the greater perspective.

This will even help most drivers. I’ve seen drivers so myopic they don’t even notice a parked car in their lane until they are 10 feet from it.

I feel more alert and prepared when I look ahead at life, rather than closing my vision on the gory details of the project I’m stuck in. Details are nice, but the big picture is a better point of view from which to live.

So… set your sights higher, gaze into a more distant future, up into a lighter atmosphere.