Sometimes All We Need is a Little Perspective.
“To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour
…”
…wrote 17th Century poet, William Blake, in one of his most loved poems, pointing us to the extraordinary miracles present in every moment and particle, hidden only by our incapacity to notice them.
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The more I grow up, the wider my perspective seems to get. Like a camera lens that re-focuses from a narrowly defined macro shot out to a wider-angled view of life.
In my naïveté, I used to take a my-way-is-the-highway approach to everything, sharing opinions from soap boxes in my relationships and in my writing. And even now seeing life through a broad lens doesn’t come naturally to me.
I still have strong opinions and convictions on certain issues; I’m not afraid of absolutes. But time and life experience have helped me to develop the wisdom to learn to try to share my opinions with grace and love.
As I move through life I’m learning to intentionally allow things into my life that will grow my perspective in the gray areas. And let’s be honest, a lot of life is gray.
Perspective is the cornerstone to our foundation of success. It can make or break success for us depending on its quality in our personal lives because it is the very thing that our thoughts are derived from.
Thoughts often lead to actions. Actions ultimately lead to results.
Essentially every action we take, or don’t take, can be traced back to our perspective of the situation we were faced with beforehand.
What is your perspective?
What type of lenses are you looking through?
Do you generally see problems or possibilities?
HOW PERSPECTIVE AFFECTS OUR WILLPOWER –
According to health psychologist, Kelly McGonigal, there are 3 different types of willpower that we use to exert our self-control. Each type uses a different part of the brain and uses varying degrees of our mental energy. You first need to have mental toughness. [book]
- The first is “I Will Power”. This is what you use to push yourself out of bed in the morning, push yourself to go to the gym or a morning walk, and get around to cleaning out your garage/home/desk/yourself.
- The second is “I Won’t Power”. This is what you use to resist tempting foods, say “no” to another glass of wine and stick to a budget.
- The third is “I Want Power”. This is where true motivation and inspiration reside. This is what you use to show up early to work because you truly believe in the purpose of your job. This is what you use when you watch a motivational video or read an inspirational article and begin to believe in yourself.
Most of our perspective lies in the way we see things. How we view every situation, how we look beyond obstacles, how we stand up even when we fall down and how to look ahead from the messy circumstances.
According to Indian visionary, Jiddu Krishnamurti, we need to look no further than exactly where we are to embark on such a quest. He spoke of seeing ‘what is’ as an essential step towards any truly transformative change within ourselves and society; one he felt we rarely explore with any serious conviction.
Seeing is the transformation. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti
All it takes is a click in the mind, a falling of scales from the eyes, a new way of seeing.
The Difficulty of Seeing –
Of course, seeing beyond all that gets in the way is far from easy. It requires us to acknowledge and begin to engage with the multitude of opinions, beliefs, wounds, and attachments that shape our realities.
Action steps:
Choose to take at least one action to make a difference in your life today. Here are some suggestions:
- Be a neutral observer. When a situation occurs, don’t immediately judge it. Take a deep breath and take yourself out of it. Try to see it from multiple angles.
- Take an optimist viewpoint. Look for the opportunity in a seemingly “bad” situation.
- Deliberately test out a new perspective. Next time you are in a traffic jam, don’t fret about “wasted” time. Use it as a chance to meditate or do some isometric exercises.
- Be grateful for what you have. Next time you think you have it bad, think about those who have it worse. Remember the Denis Waitely quote: “I had the blues because I had no shoes until, upon the street, I met a man who had no feet.”
- Offer your services to someone who could benefit from your talents. This may change their perspective as well as your own.
- Keep a “belief journal.” Write down your core values and beliefs. Determine which ones serve you and which ones don’t. Constantly review it and make adjustments.
Affirmation:
The second principle of Power Living is “Tune Your Mind to the Positive,” and one technique we use with clients is an affirmation.
Here’s one to help shift your perspective:
Today, I have an optimistic view on life. I look for the opportunity in every situation. I accept new ideas and viewpoints. I know that all is working for my highest good. I understand that the outside world is based on my thoughts and mental attitude. If I control my mind and frame of reference, I have controlled everything… in my control. Today, I have an optimistic view on life.
The ability to reframe a situation is an important skill that can transform your life and our world.
Today, take time to clear your lenses so you can view life from a higher perspective.
The point of this article is to highlight the idea that no matter how crappy of a situation you find yourself in or how stagnant life may seem right now, you have the power to change it.
It starts with your perspective, and it just may be the most powerful thing you’ll ever experience.
Positivity can do wonders; it goes a long way. There is good even in the bad, forever and always. Don’t forget to look beyond…always.
Feel free to ask any questions or share your ideas in the comment section below. Alternately, I’d really appreciate for you to share this content on your social media platform if you found it useful so that others can benefit from it too. If you have any doubts or want a personal clarification, send me an email on eclipsedwords@gmail.com. For more inspiration, fun, and smiles, follow me on Instagram
Happy Blogging! ♥♥♥
Thank you for reading. Love you for that! ♥
—–Have Hope. Keep Faith—–
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ECLIPSEDWORDS BY AISHWARYA SHAH | JANUARY’2019 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ©
This is very true in a lot of ways and is thought provoking. But, some things in life aren’t a matter of perspective — they are just wrong. Willful murder comes to mind. Abusing others is another one. Always wrong. No gray, no perspective. It’s a delicate balance, I think. Blessings!
I never thought of it that way. Yes, delicate balance – that’s a really good way to think about this. Thank you for your words. 🙂
Affirmations are powerful tools
Yes!! 💯 I agree
Very interesting article with a powerhouse of thoughts. I agree that our perception grows as we mature and are more capable to see the bigger picture. Sometimes it is hard to see outside our own perspective especially if we do have strong opinions. But I think it shows empathy to see a vision through someone else’s eyes. Well done!
Thank you for your appreciation and your words. It really means a lot to me. ❤
Being naive is one the greatest blessing youth has to offer for us. But having a wider perspective is also a great thing non the less. So I guess Having a balance of both would definitely make things easier for us.
Great blog post 😊