DW's Blog

Seeing Anew

by DW Green — February 12, 2025

“Teachers and lessons emerge exactly when we need them.”

Have you ever noticed how certain themes seem to appear in clusters throughout your day? Recently, I found myself in a series of conversations about fear, rejection, and the stories we tell ourselves. What emerged was a profound realization – seeing isn’t just about what’s before our eyes, but about how we perceive our entire journey.

We often think of fear as a response to external threats – like being chased by a bear. But most of our fears exist primarily in our thoughts, in the stories we tell ourselves about what might happen. The same is true for rejection. We build elaborate mental constructions of possible hurt before we’ve even reached out to connect.

What blocks us from seeing deeper truths often lies in our thinking rather than in reality itself. This isn’t just about seeing the world differently – it’s about seeing our own journey with new eyes. When we return to our personal story, something remarkable can happen. Moments we once judged harshly reveal themselves as stepping stones. Periods of struggle show themselves as times of growth. What seemed like wrong turns appear as necessary parts of our path.

As T.S. Eliot wrote, “We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” This knowing isn’t just intellectual – it’s a profound recognition that can bring tears to our eyes. It’s seeing the beauty that was always woven into our story, waiting for us to be ready to recognize it. There’s often something beautifully overdue about this recognition, as if our heart has been patiently waiting for our mind to catch up to what it always knew.

This shift in vision isn’t about learning something new – it’s about uncovering what was always there. Like clearing dust from a mirror, we begin to see reflections that were always present but obscured. The interconnectedness of life, the possibility of joy, the capacity for meaningful connection – these aren’t distant achievements to be gained, but present realities waiting to be recognized.

When we open our minds and hearts to this possibility, the world reveals itself in new ways. Synchronicities appear daily. Teachers and lessons emerge exactly when we need them. What once seemed like coincidence begins to feel like the natural unfolding of a deeper pattern.

Perhaps the greatest gift lies not in seeking what’s missing, but in returning to our own story and seeing it, truly, for the very first time.