It’s not what you look at, its how you look at it.

It’s not just about what you visually observe, but rather how you perceive and engage with your surroundings that can impact your well-being. While spending time outdoors in nature is undoubtedly beneficial, you may not be fully capitalizing on those advantages if you’re not actively working to heighten your senses and awareness. 

An intriguing theory suggests that our ancestors would scan the horizon panoramically to check for potential threats, inducing a calming state when no immediate danger was present. Conversely, if a threat emerged, their vision would narrow to laser focus, triggering the fight-or-flight stress response. This notion raises the possibility that simply adjusting how we look at our environment could influence our emotional state.

Neuroscientific research supports this idea. Studies show that when we visually lock onto something stressful or exciting, our field of view constricts to increase focus while our eyes subtly turn inwards. However, by expanding our peripheral vision to take in a wider view, we can effectively disengage the body’s stress reaction pathways. Deliberately relaxing our gaze to encompass our full surroundings can induce physiological calm.

But vision isn’t the only sense that affects well-being. Often, we become so consumed by internal thoughts during outdoor activities that we fail to truly experience and appreciate our multisensory surroundings. By mindfully engaging each of our senses in turn – absorbing the sounds, feeling the air currents, touching textures – we activate different regions of the brain. This grounding practice helps center us in the present moment while allowing an opportunity to find perspective amidst life’s stresses.

The key is not just passively observing nature, but purposefully directing your senses to fully immerse yourself in the experience. Adopting this intentional mindset can unlock the rejuvenating benefits that connection with the outdoor world can provide.

The intentional mindset described above can also be helpful in another type of gazing at the horizon.

The concept of “horizon gazing” refers to the practice of looking ahead and anticipating future trends, changes, and potential opportunities or challenges that may arise. In the context of leadership development, both for individuals and organizations, horizon gazing plays a crucial role in preparing leaders to navigate and adapt to an ever-changing landscape.

For individuals aspiring to develop their leadership skills, horizon gazing helps them cultivate a forward-thinking mindset. By continuously scanning the horizon for emerging developments in their industry, technology, societal shifts, and other relevant domains, they can better anticipate the future demands and competencies required of effective leaders. This foresight enables them to proactively acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and mindsets to lead effectively in the face of impending changes.

In an organizational context, horizon gazing is a vital component of strategic planning and leadership development initiatives. Organizations that embrace this practice are better positioned to identify and respond to potential disruptions, emerging customer needs, and competitive threats or opportunities. By fostering a culture of horizon gazing, organizations can:

Identify future talent requirements: By anticipating future trends and challenges, organizations can better understand the leadership competencies and skills that will be needed to navigate the changing landscape. This allows them to develop targeted leadership development programs and succession planning strategies to cultivate the required talent pipeline.

Adapt organizational structures and processes: Horizon gazing can reveal the need for organizational restructuring, process optimization, or the adoption of new technologies or business models. By recognizing these needs early, organizations can proactively adapt and equip their leaders with the necessary tools and capabilities to lead through transformational changes.

Foster innovation and agility: Leaders who are adept at horizon gazing are better equipped to anticipate and respond to market shifts, customer preferences, and technological advancements. This agility enables organizations to stay ahead of the curve, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.

Mitigate risks and seize opportunities: By identifying potential risks and opportunities on the horizon, organizations can develop contingency plans, implement risk mitigation strategies, and position themselves to capitalize on emerging opportunities before their competitors.

Ultimately, the practice of horizon gazing cultivates a forward-thinking mindset and strategic foresight, which are essential qualities for effective leadership in an ever-changing world. By embedding this concept into leadership development efforts, individuals and organizations can better prepare themselves to navigate uncertainty, adapt to change, and seize emerging opportunities for growth and success.

In other words, I’m adding the skill of horizon gazing to my journey to becoming a Modern Elder.

---