My horizons. Your horizons.

Some people say that if you are not broadening your horizons, you are narrowing them. So if you're feeling stuck in life or find yourself being narrow-minded, it might be time you adopt a friendly attitude to life.

“The horizon leans forward,
Offering you space to place new steps of change.
Here, on the pulse of this fine day
You may have the courage
To look up and out upon me,
the Rock, the River, the Tree, your country.”

That was part of one of Maya Angelou’s poems, which she recited at President Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993 and in which ‘that farthest place which you can see, where the sky seems to touch the land or sea’, is reaching us and offering us changes, improvements, opportunities, and possibilities in life.

And now I tell you... feel the sun and wind on your face and let nature show you its wonders. Explore nature, learn from nature, and let yourself have a grandstand view of life. Step outside, sit in your garden, walk in an open field, climb a mountain, or walk on the beach. Literally expand your visual horizon. Develop an enquiring mind but be always critical. Always analyze, evaluate, reflect, and reason.

Travel the world, get to know different people, learn their names, and become interested in their cultures: become tolerant. Be willing to accept their beliefs even though they are different form yours. Walk in another person's shoes and see the world through their eyes. Opening your heart will most definitely broaden your perspective on life. Rediscover gratitude, forgiveness, and generosity.

“Now, bring me that horizon.” Those were Johnny Deep’s words in one of those “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies in which the good guys must cross big expanses of ocean to fight with the bad guys and so find a safe haven for themselves. Then, our own eyes can be up and looking for new and newer possibilities in the distance while we call out, “Now, bring me that horizon!”

And it’s never late to broaden your outlook on life: As Mark Pattison, a 19th century British author and teacher once said, “…the horizon recedes as we advance, and is no nearer at sixty than it was at twenty.” You can always look ‘out there’ and find your individual horizon.

And if this soundS like daydreaming, you only need to think about all those people who have once succeed in broadening their horizons throughout history. These were once ordinary people as we are.

"Firmly United"

I was thinking of important events that unite the world. In the past, the only thing that came to my mind was the world cup. You know... “It’s the world cup!” But then you have stories like this, of tragedy and miracles, and you feel really touched to see that all human beings being so distant and close at the same time.

Some weeks ago 30 miners were rescued after having been trapped for 70 days three hundred metres underground. Every channel and TV programme around the world followed the extraordinary rescue, man by man. And when the last miner exited the depths of the mine, everyone was moved as every miner himself was. Since then, they have become a source of inspiration: they have proved the value of faith, the value of commitment, the value of teamwork.

And this has not been the only case when the entire world felt and showed compassion for others. Many other tragic events have helped develop gestures of goodwill throughout history: massive earthquakes that have struck entire cities, or floods that have left thousands of families homeless, heavy storms, tornadoes... and wars. Did you know that the “League of Nations” was created at the end of the First World War to ensure that war would never break again? Then, we can assure that human beings only react after extreme situations. Why never preventing them?


Before having 33 miners trapped underground, people did not care if they were working in bad conditions or even running the risk of getting trapped. There was no source of inspiration in their faith or their commitment or in their teamwork. And there was no world united, but for the World Cup.