Making the Invisible Visible: The WOW Behind the HOW!

"We must be the change we wish to see in the world." -Gandhi

When was the last time that you truly marveled at something?

Can you remember the exact time and place?

One of the characteristics that I find very attractive in people is an ability to nurture a sense of "wonder" about life. As fast as things occur today, as quickly as information changes hands we often become numb to the creative possibilities going on around us at any given moment. Wonder is that idea and sensation that a great deal of wisdom and beauty remains hidden behind the experience you are witnessing. It is a philosophy of possibilities that challenges our logic and expands our basic understanding and beliefs. It's the WOW behind the HOW!

Wonder is a fascinating thing to research. We all seem to instinctively know what it is. In the movies they always depict a wondrous moment as being a supernatural experience. By Hollywood's way of thinking we can only truly experience that sense of awe if something from the great beyond comes down and touches us. I am as big a fan of the great beyond as the next guy, but I am amazed how often the "here and now" can inspire us if we only let it into our life to challenge our current beliefs. That is what the WOW behind the HOW is all about.

So much of what I have researched when it comes to the topic of wonder can be summarized by the idea that someone simply disagreed with a limitation that was imposed upon them. Quite a phenomenal philosophy for living! In preparing to write this article I studied the Seven Wonders of the World as well as all of the Ancient Wonders of the World. Those topics are certainly marvelous areas to ponder the WOW behind the HOW. However, the more that I study them, I am most amazed by the simple fact that at the core of each of those incredible creations was somebody who simply disagreed with what everybody else considered REALISTIC. Think about that for a little while?. it seems that at the core of every great achievement is a disagreement of what the visionary believed was possible. When the visionary achieved that goal it literally changed the entire viewpoint of civilization of what is possible.

While civilization was content with the idea of gravity the Wright brothers saw the possibility of flight. In 1844 when everyone focused and thought about communication in terms of audible dialogue, Samuel Morse introduced the telegraph machine, which permitted communication to travel instantly between two distant locations. Later in the 1890's just as civilization was getting accustomed to the idea of the telegraph Edison, Marconi and Tesla all pioneered inventions which allowed the wireless telegraph, the radio to serve and entertain humanity. At the core of each of these remarkable accomplishments was a disagreement with the limiting vision and understanding shared by the status quo. The list can go on and on?..

Thank God for disagreements!

We possess three essential abilities to develop greater consciousness, awareness and understanding. They are:

a) To reason,
b) To know that we know, and
c) To know that we know not.

Most people strive to live their lives demonstrating to others that they know, even if they don't. Most of our educational system is focused on teaching us to reason and to know that we know. However, the artists and adventurers quickly gravitate to the arena "that we know not" and make the process of discovery the canvas of their lives. They disagree. It seems that the artist and adventurer feed off the idea of exploring unknown territory claiming it as the birthplace of all possibility.

In the book "The Art of Dreaming" Don Juan tells Carlos Castaneda, "?.most of our energy goes into upholding our importance?.If we were capable of losing some of that importance, two extraordinary things would happen to us. One, we would free our energy from trying to maintain the illusory idea of our grandeur; and two, we would provide ourselves with enough energy to?.catch a glimpse of the actual grandeur of the universe." This is the creative response to life.

Is there anyone you know that effectively forecasted or predicted the Internet era more than 50 years ago? I have researched the question quite intently and outside of science fiction authors it appears that this amazing thing called cyberspace evolved in spite of our limited understanding of what would be possible if we married a computer and a telephone together. Yet a handful of technologists steadfastly carried this vision of possibilities with them and that persistence enriches our experience so vastly today.

Cool, huh?

The very experiences we have online every day would have been considered impossible hallucinations of madmen 30 years ago. What is exciting is pondering the future with a sense of wonder knowing that we ain't seen nothing yet!

If you will look at it creatively, limitation is the birthplace of possibility.

You just have to be willing to perceive it that way. What really creates WONDER is the idea that we all see different worlds but some blessed souls are focused on possibilities while the rest are entrapped in self-made limitations.

Last week I had one of those wondrous moments pertaining to my Internet business. However, it is the type of event that I could quickly allow myself to become numb to. Let me explain. While traveling in Florida, I had written an article on my computer notebook and using my wireless connection submitted it for syndication to a website in England. The article was picked up by an entrepreneur from Thailand who published it in her ezine in the Phillipines. People on the other side of the world were receiving my ideas and viewpoint within 12 hours from the time it left my mind! That's the WOW behind the HOW! Upon first glance you might think I am mentioning this to edify my ego. Quite the contrary. This simple event which takes place thousands of times every single day has changed the way of what I think is possible regarding communication. For me the Internet has changed the definitions of time and space and really brought to life the energy that we are all truly connected. The Internet has challenged my idea of limitation. It is truly wondrous!

When I break down this simple event into its individual components it challenges me to ponder the possibilities and recognize how much potential lies within all of us.

I love the experience of having something in an event "push the envelope" and challenge my logic. It elevates me by creatively transforming my limitations into possibilities.

I've learned that when wonder looks inward it becomes logic. When wonder looks outward it becomes possibility. When wonder looks upward it contributes to a better understanding of all that we consider real.

Technology and Art seem to be the tools that challenge the "status quo" and force us to redefine ourselves based upon the mere reflection of what they perceive is possible.

Listen to a Louis Armstrong or Miles Davis solo. Do a complex search on Google. Look at a Picasso. It's the WOW after the HOW! All of these adventurers and their contributions pushed the envelope a little farther along in making us all see what is possible when we rid our world of comfortable limitations.

Possibility or limitation. The choice is always yours! Every thought that you think today will give birth to worlds of possibilities. Every word that you murmur will unleash the power of pure potential. Every action you take will remind us all that limitation is a choice.

Or not.

The Buddha taught that in our lives we can't help but make the invisible visible. Our exterior world is a perfect reflection of the invisible world of our thoughts, ideas, beliefs and considerations. Everything we do in life harmonizes with the invisible symphony of possibility. If you are not getting the results you want be the change you wish to see in the world. When you get clear on the invisible you can create the impossible. To paraphrase Einstein, "The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking we used when we created them."

My advice to you is simple?.realize that you are making the invisible visible with every passing second. That's the WOW behind the HOW and it all starts with a disagreement of what others might consider REALISTIC!

I agree to disagree. How about you?

Might be time to focus on my favorite mantra again?"Be Careful What YOU Agree With!"

Harald Anderson is the co-founder of Artinspires.com a leading online gallery of Motivational Art Posters and Inspirational Art Posters."When Art Inspires, Dreams Become Realities. His goal in life is to become the kind of person that his dog already thinks he is. http://www.artinspires.com.

---

Wake Up to the Life You Love

While speaking at a San Diego university recently, I was... Read More

Grit or Grace?

The grit of life is hard to swallow. You make... Read More

Passion and Purpose

Who are we, standing here on this planet, looking for... Read More

Lazy? Or Right on Schedule

Q. I've been working on a big project for a... Read More

Training Your Mind to Help You

Our friend, singer and songwriter Chuck Pyle, likes to say,... Read More

Hey Me, Get Out Of My Way

Hey Me! Get Out... Read More

Beyond Procrastination ? 8 Questions To Ask Yourself

Why am I constantly putting things off? Why don't I... Read More

If It Feels Good, It Must Be Right

Copyright © 2003 Priya Shah Is it... Read More

Are You Ready To Make A Strong Finish?

Talk about a strong finish! In their inspiring story of... Read More

Choose Your Suffering - Be Willing to Pay the Price for Success!

One day when my friend Todd and I were having... Read More

How To Harness The Awesome, Unstoppable Power Of Persistence In 4 Easy Steps

Never underestimate the power of persistence!If you persist you really... Read More

Put Some Fire in Your Desire

One of the keys to success is staying motivated because... Read More

Quick Tips On Getting Motivated When You Dont Feel Like It

The secret to getting started on something when you don't... Read More

Words That Inspire - CHOICE

What CHOICE do you want to make?Dictionary* says:the act of... Read More

The Power

I had a friend ask me a question not to... Read More

Dismantle Self Imposed Limits

Round about us is an invisible box that we have... Read More

A Turning Point

19 years ago, I was a young working mother at... Read More

Change Your Life, Release Fear, and Create What you Really Want

Do you have a dream? Or do you just have... Read More

Ambitiously Pursuing Your Own Self

(Excerpted from The Power of Ambition series)What is the origin... Read More

About That Dream...

About that Dream...Remember your very first job? That all-grown-up feeling!... Read More

What If I Fall Flat On My Face?

I hope you do. Sounds awful, I know. But I... Read More

Success: Its Really Pretty Simple

From the 'What You Need to Succeed' SeriesEvery once in... Read More

Becoming Rich in Your Own Way

If you really want to become rich, then begin by... Read More

Creative Procrastination

Do you ever postpone things, or just forget about them... Read More

We Are Trying To...

How many times have you heard this in your life?... Read More

Are You IFFY?

Many people say that working for themselves or working on... Read More

Being Genuinely Curious

Yesterday at the dinner table, my eleven-year-old daughter asked me,... Read More

Hold That Elevator!

As Prince, or whatever his name is now put it... Read More

Have A Crack!

For everyone the New Year is now in full swing.... Read More

Getting Out of a Rut

Are you feeling bored or restless? Do you need to... Read More

How To Beat Procrastination At Work

Listen. If you don´t beat procrastination at work the long... Read More

8 Super Ways To Avoid Procrastination

We are all guilty of delaying what needs to be... Read More

So What Is Your Real Motivation?

We are all guilty of wanting to change our circumstances,... Read More