Shifting Heads

“We hold public hearings to make sure we hear everyone’s voice if they want to be heard.”

-Rod McDaniels

Shifting Heads

I sat right across the table from Rod with my legs dangling in the air.  My feet were keeping some sort of spasmodic time with the music that was acting as a backdrop to our conversation.  The table was elevated, next to a window in a local restaurant.  Our conversation was engaging.

Rod was telling me about his work and how important it was for his group to listen to the public as they were pressing forward with their plans to improve transportation issues.  I could see the sincerity in his eyes as he spoke and I knew he was deeply committed to doing his job well.  His efforts are squarely centered on service to others.

As he was speaking my mind seemed to catch a spark of how important this conversation really was on a larger scale.  He was following a pattern that would allow his group to gather information that they otherwise would not have access to.  In short, they were getting smarter with every meeting they held.  They were expanding their horizons in exponentially as they listened!  It was a smart thing to do regardless of whether it was for their group as a whole or for its members individually.

Then I thought about what this concept meant for you and me as individual learners!  My eyes began to scan the room and I wondered about the stories making up all of those lives.  What kind of experiences had they been through?  How could those stories benefit me now and in the future?  What is it they know, that I don’t know?

The answer is lots!

I can’t begin to account for everything I’ve learned directly from others.  But, one direct result is the experience I call “Head Shifting.”

I can only see what I can see and think my own thoughts unless I open up.  It is such a limiting way to live! But, once in a while I really open my ears and heart to take in what someone else can teach me.  When I do it is like a firework bursting between my ears and the light exposes my mind to possibilities I’ve never considered.  I would never have considered the new thought if it hadn’t come from outside of me!  It’s a told shift.

Total shifts will make you feel, experience and think new things.  It’s the best and most effective way to grow into a new, smarter and more interesting person.  Look for head shifting opportunities everyday and you’ll be amazed at how often they’ll come to you.  Seek to have a shifting head today and experience the explosion of light in your own mind.