See Life Through Unbounded Eyes

"All you need to do it turn these upside down."

• Preston Tilby
  

See Life Through Unbounded Eyes

I built my house about thirteen years ago. It was a great adventure since I worked with a draftsman to bring my vision of the house into a form that others could see and then work with me to complete. I tried real hard to create a house that would be perfect for my family; it was going to be a flawless home!

Since I was acting as the General Contractor, I was there day after day to make sure things were proceeding according to the plan. Still, it wasn't long until I found out that things rarely go exactly as drawn. Even with my best efforts, giving it all I had, it was impossible for me to know everything. To make a long story short, the house turned out just fine, but not perfect, and it's been a wonderful place for my family to live.

Now, these many years later, there were some repairs that needed to be made so I called my friend Preston to ask for his help and he was kind enough to come and offer his expertise. We went through everything, with Preston taking notes and make suggestions all the while. After an extensive tour, I thought we were finished, but we weren't! My eyes caught the sight of "THE ONE CABINET."

THE ONE CABINET has been a mental burden to me the whole time I've lived in the house! It's made me crazy because the cabinet maker didn't drill the holes perfectly; so the shelves wobble. I hesitated to say anything to Preston because he's a master cabinet maker and I thought he'd tell me that I needed to tear the whole thing out and redo it. Still, the imperfection nagged and nagged at me until I finally mustered the courage to say something to him.

He opened the door, looked into the cabinet, and saw the problem. I held my breath! He had a puzzled look on his face for just a minute, and then said, "I see, the holes weren't drilled in exactly the right position."

Then, he took the shelf pin on one side, got a twinkle in his eye, and said, smiling, "All you need to do is turn these upside down, on this side, and it'll solve the problem."

There I stood, stunned and amazed at how quickly he saw the issue, thought about it, and then came up with a simple, elegant, and perfect solution in seconds! Then as if delivered through a bolt of lightning the real lesson of the moment exploded though my mind!

I had let a very small part of the whole house torment me for thirteen years because I didn't have the experience and knowledge to see a simple solution. My mind had created its own little prison from which I couldn't escape! It wasn't until I sought help from a trusted advisor that I was able to find elucidation and see the problem and its solution anew.

Have you created any small mental prisons within your own mind? If so, don't fight the battle alone one second longer! Use this simple technique. Surround yourself with people you love and trust. Then ask for their help when you see that they have a talent or experience you don't have. It you will, you'll soon see life through unbounded eyes.