Angles
I took this photo of the Brooklyn bridge in November 2019
“In flying, the probablility of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of arrival.”
— Neil Armstrong
The angle we approach things matters. To a pilot or astronaut, for instance, angles can mean life or death. To a photographer, light angles can be the difference between a mediocre picture or a great one. And we all learned in 2020 that the camera angle in a Zoom meeting can enhance our looks – or not.
Sometimes we can get into such a habit of mindset that we don’t see all the possible angles in a situation. For example, riding my bike is something that has brought me great joy since I was a young child. When I ride, I ride all out. No leisure pace for me. I love speeding freely down the path. I have overcome many hurdles during my brain injury recovery journey, but for years I could not ride my bike more than ten miles. I would experience this invisible wall that would not let me go further. If I went more than 10 miles, I got a headache for the rest of the day and experienced my old foe, neurofatigue. .
Then at a recent yoga class I was chatting with a fellow yogi. She told me that she was celebrating her friend’s 70th birthday with a 50-mile bike ride. My competitive self immediately thought, “I’m only 60! If they can ride 50 miles, surely I can do more than 10.” My friend went on to explain their secret. She said they don’t care about speed. They take their time; take breaks if they need to. A light bulb went off! I could approach my bike riding from a different angle. I could try riding not at full speed. That afternoon my husband and I set out on the bike path near our house. I told him I was going to go slower than we usually do so that I could go further. I rode 16 miles that day! First time in over five years.
I have another biking example that is literally about approaching something at a different angle. My brain still doesn’t like bumps and jarring, so rough spots on a bike path can be problematic. I have learned that if I simply approach the bump from a side angle rather than straight on, it is much softer and less jarring. The angle we approach things matters.
Whether you’re an astronaut, photographer, brain injury survivor, stay open to the different angles. The Universe offers us many.
Peace,
Sharon
