Whilst writing the previous post, ‘It Works. Beautifully.’, I realised that, not only was the experience described there the most positive I have ever had, it has also bestowed on me a feeling that my landscape has been altered. The beauty she and I created permeates my existence and, consequently, I now inhabit a more serene place. Because of her. Because of us.
On the face of it the world looks no different (although in some way we definitely have changed the world). When I look around, the scenery is the still the same, but the terrain has become a little easier to negotiate. There are mountains and they maintain their awesome quality, but they are no longer so overwhelming. The oceans too, remain, yet they are deeper and calmer than before. And the people are the same people, but now they seem imbued with more potential, spirit, beauty and love.
Neither has the experience transformed the way life treats me. Life treats us all with the same indifference it reserves for everything it creates; and those same potential-filled people retain their innate capacity to frustrate and annoy. But there has been a shift – no matter how slight – in how I perceive and how I respond to everything around me.
‘The world is getting better’, she kept telling me. And maybe that’s what she came into my life to show me. She was right, of course, and her readiness to supply me with the evidence never wanes. But I always took it to apply exclusively to the external world. What I didn’t register was that she would show me how much my world is getting better. She is right again. It is an enriched place and it means that, now, whatever happens to me occurs within a space more beautiful than it has ever been.
Seek out the people who will make a difference to your life. They are out there in abundance. There’s no way of knowing how long you will journey together, so listen closely when they speak. And know that you also have something for them. Enrich each other’s lives. Change each other’s landscapes.