In my previous blog, “On The Meaning of Words,” I undertook, to put words to my thoughts on language as the next frontier. I don’t think I did a decent job on that. What did I mean by the “The Next Frontier”? While the internet, social media, and advanced translation technologies and now AI all speak to the advancement of language and enhance our lives beyond anything we imagined forty years ago, none of these really speak to what I meant by the “Next Frontier.” I am speaking of words as thoughts or imaginations discovered. Words that unearth, bring to light, and reveal something to us not presently thought or imagined. It doesn’t come from head knowledge but from a clear manifestation of thought, an impartance or unveilment of that which was previously hidden from our awareness.
I’m reminded of an example from eighth grade algebra; It was completely incomprehensible to me. I didn’t think I would ever understand it. Suddenly, as a freshman in high school the incomprehensible became crystal clear. As though hit by a lightning bolt, I all at once understood algebra and attested to it with A+ grades. To some extent, this is what I mean by the next frontier.
Although many people ascribe to the theory that our thinking is dominated by either left brain (the “digital” brain) or right brain (the “Creative” brain) thinking; neuroscientists have debunked this theory discovering a unified functioning of the brain through the corpus callosum which connects the left and right cerebral hemispheres.
Our thoughts are powered by the integration of both hemispheres, combining analytical, logical, creative, and intuitive thought. In this integration of thoughts combined with our willingness to quiet our minds from the onslaught of everyday worries and tasks, I believe we can open ourselves up to these moments of lightning bolts of insight. Words aren’t meant to be in a vacuum; they are meant for the collective. Mutually shared in the hope that beyond understanding comes inspiration for a better tomorrow.
Here’s another example, to those of you old enough, can you think back to when you were young and impressionable? You followed the latest trends, read the books on the top ten list, watched the TV shows that were most popular with your age group. Maybe you paid attention to politics, but rarely, and only if some actor or actress, popular athlete or the latest pop star made a vehement protest about something. Either you went with your parents beliefs or what your current clique thought. We call them “influencers” today. Now that you are mature and look back at some of your thoughts and actions, you realize how immature and often overly idealistic you were. As you grew your awareness deepened and without you even noticing, many moments of clarity were building your current mindset.
I like to think that we continue to expand our understanding, regardless of age. Much like America’s “New Frontier,” the gold rush of 1849, I am hoping for a gold rush of thought inspired by words. I hope that what we are reading, hearing, and seeing is brought to light in a collective rush of clear headedness, understanding, and comprehension. Like those in 1849 who dreamt of gold and what it could do to change their lives, our openness to see clearly and grow our minds to ever greater moments can foster dreams of a reality that builds decisive and appropriate intentions for our communities. Take a moment and quiet your mind, let the spirit of discovering a new frontier fill your waking dreams. That’s what many of the greatest thinkers did, Thomas Edison, Guglielmo Marconi, Charles Babbage, and the Wright brothers to name a few. They shut out the world around them and let new possibilities build future dreams that became our current reality. I ask that you let the words you read or hear inspire you to make your dreams a reality.
