“When the eye suddenly wakes up to see again, it stops taking anything for granted.”
– Frederick Franck
Dewitt Jones, a National Geographic Photographer for 20 years, was on a Grand Canyon raft trip when a member of the group asked if he’d share some of his favorite images over the campfire.
With the canyon walls as a backdrop, Dewitt didn’t just share images, he shared the stories behind them.
Afterwards, Rick Gilbert said, “You could turn this into a presentation to share with corporations.”
Dewitt laughed, “I’ve never worked in a corporation, so I’m not sure how that would work.”
“Why don’t you put together a talk for our Northern California chapter of the National Speakers Association and give it a try?”
Dewitt followed up on that opportunity. And so began an incredibly rewarding career that led to Successful Meetings magazine naming him one of the top five keynoters in the world.
Why do Dewitt’s programs resonate with everyone who experiences them?
Because he’s not content to simply say “The banquet is laid, yet no one comes,” he SHOWS the beauty that’s all around if we simply choose to see with more appreciative eyes.
And we’re not just talking about stunning waterfalls, magnificent cliff faces, or awe-inspiring sunsets. We’re talking about the everyday beauty that is waiting to be discovered in front of us.
For example, a couple years ago, Dewitt had a heart attack, and it took him months to get his full health back.
His daily rehab was to walk to the end of his driveway and back. Each day, he challenged himself with “What can I find that’s beautiful today?”
He said, “At first glance, my driveway is black macadam, not much there. But then, I’d encounter a leaf that had fallen next to another leaf, partly covering a stick and some small rocks. I gasped out loud at the perfect composition and realized I was seeing a visual prayer.
I’ve been to some of the most stunningly beautiful places in the world. And I’m grateful for that. Now, my spiritual practice is to find the beauty in every day.”
Do You Find Beauty Every Day?
“Instructions for a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” – Mary Oliver
I asked Dewitt what inspired his “astonishment.”
“I was in British Columbia teaching a class. The skies were gray and cloudy, but it was our last day, and we were determined to get our shots.
I had almost $5000 worth of professional gear and was frustrated because the light was going. I finally found a spot overlooking the water to set up.
A young boy watched from a few feet away. He was clutching one of those pink plastic cameras with a yellow straw.
Just as I was about to take my shot, he scuttled in front of me and snapped his shot!
The kid gazed up at me, sucked on his straw, and asked, ‘Do you have a camera?
I was festooned with cameras. I gave him a short “Yes,” and then he came back with, “Yeah, but does yours have juice in it?”
Busted. Despite my expensive equipment and decades of experience, I realized, on that particular day, I did not have juice in my camera.”
Do You Have Juice in Your Camera?
“The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.” – Henry Miller
Dewitt includes this story in every keynote and asks audiences…
“Do you have juice in your camera? Or are you looking at the world with jaded, cynical eyes? Have you become so inured to the banquet that’s all around you, you don’t even see it anymore?”
Dewitt has hundreds of letters and emails from people who thank him for inspiring them to pay attention and be astonished.
Dewitt told me, “And that’s the point. You asked me what it means to be a force for good. I think it is done in small ways. We don’t need to write a check, volunteer at a shelter, or start a non-profit. Those acts of service are all wonderful ways to make a difference.
We can also make a difference by seeing things as if for the first or last time. Every time we do, we, as John Muir said, “wash our spirit clean.”
How About You?
How long has it been since you truly saw the banquet with a sense of wonder?
How will you adopt a daily practice of finding beauty “right here, right now?”
How will you see the world – and Nature – with fresh, more appreciative eyes?