A city viewed from the fiftieth floor of a skyscraper looks very different from the way it looks from the sidewalk. If we're walking along the street, it might seem dirty, noisy, and crowded. But if we're standing fifty floors above, the same city can look beautiful. There might be an interesting pattern of rooftops, a series of elegant bridges in the distance, a fascinating stream of cars down below. A new view can make a difference.
Many people are looking for a better view—of their future, their relationships, their entire life. I certainly was. In high school and college I was often miserable and depressed. At home there was a lot of anger and unhappiness, and most of the time I was tense and worried, always desperate for love. Instinct told me that the only thing that would give me relief would be deep spiritual insights, and so I tried a number of books and ideas that promised just the kind of relief I was looking for, including a system of meditation and a yearlong spirituality course. I also read parts of the Bible, because it talked about spiritual light and goodness being inside of us, and that sounded really good to me! I wanted a view of myself where I could see and feel that light and goodness all the time.
In my last year of college I was so unhappy I didn't know how I was going to make it through another day. One evening I went to a talk on campus about a book I knew nothing about—Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. I really liked what I heard, and so I got a copy of the book and started reading it. What struck me most was how it talked about each of us as being spiritually wonderful inside. It was showing me a view of myself that I'd always felt was there, had always desperately wanted, but didn't know how to find.
