"The real voyage in discovery is not in seeking new land, but in seeing with new eyes".

This is a quote which someone posted on twitter the other day. I rather liked it. Of course there are many similar quotes, the essence of which is pretty much the same. But sometimes a particular turn of phrase strikes a deeper chord for whatever reason.

This I think is one of the beauties of twitter. People can post short phrases and due to the character restrictions they have to say what they want to say in a nutshell. And although we as a community detest being spammed by email, twitter is somehow different, perhaps because the messages are so short that we can easily move on to the next one; we don't really feel that we are being "spammed".

I like to read these short motivational comments or quotes. They brighten my day and give me a feel good factor. Seeing as they are so popular, I must assume that most others feel the same way. Sometimes you can be feeling down or upset and just a smile or a kindly word can sooth your emotional state. When no-one else is around, and you cannot grasp an uplifting thought yourself, to receive a quick message which says something nice, or funny, can in fact create a massive turning point in your day.

The impact of one phase delivered at a significant moment can be quite astounding. It can enable you to see with new eyes. And to see with new eyes enables you to see things from a different angle and to embark upon the real voyage of discovery. So often we are looking for something outside of ourselves to change, and yet the real change happens purely by looking from a different angle.

In relationships many people get stuck in a rut because they have convinced themselves that if they were with the right person they would be happy. But if you were to see instead with new eyes and to wonder if you were happy would you then meet the right person, you are far more likely to achieve what you so much desire. Once again we see that the real voyage of discovery lies in looking from a different angle instead of seeking the lure of new and distant lands. Often what you are looking for is actually sitting upon your very own door-step, merely waiting for you to unlock your door.

Roseanna Leaton, specialist in hypnosis for change.