"When we limit our experience to what we perceive, we let our senses define our existence. Unless we are willing to step out of our shoes to consider all that we may miss beyond what we are sensing, our lives become narrowed and circumscribed. Sensitivity is a process of always reaching out, beyond what we think we know, to embrace the viewpoint of another. As we strive to truly understand what others may perceive, and recognize the inherent limits of our own perspective, we allow ourselves to open up to new ways of being and a world of new experiences. And the more that we allow ourselves to truly embrace another's outlook, for all we can learn about ourselves and them, the more we are transformed by our sensitivity and are able to live with more empathy for one another.
"Man is but one among millions of species of animals. What we hold in common is this planet that we share. But as we go about our lives, each of us does so from a different perspective. Even individuals among a given species — elephants, dolphins, dogs, cats, or humans — although they share similar features and forms, touch and see and hear the world through their own unique filters. The animals around us in our daily lives, from the hawk eyeing us from his perch high in the branches, to the smallest ant crossing our path as we step outside our door, can challenge us to stretch our perspective and inspire us to consider a world more lavish than we could ever grasp on our own — if we will only allow them to."
