“The only thing you sometimes have control over is perspective. You don’t have control over your situation. But you have a choice about how you view it.” Chris Pine
Much of life is about OUR perspective. Our perspectives can either stagnate us or propel us to soar. It can drastically change our situations and alter our views. Yet, it’s amazing how differently things look when we look at them from various angles or perspectives. Why is that? What is perspective and why does it skew our views?
Webster dictionary defines perspective as a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view. Perspective may have a small definition but it has a huge impact on and in our lives. To me, perspective is the need to be right and the inability or unwillingness to view things from another vantage point.
Perspective can be a major contributor to arguments and disagreements. It can ruin or revive relationships. It can cause mental paralysis or mental freedom. The unwillingness to change our perspective may also be the root cause of depression and anxiety. While the willingness to change the way we view things can promote healing and reverse diagnoses. Perspective is powerful.
I worked at a job that I hated. I disliked my tasks, the company, my supervisor, the pay, and most of my co-workers. Every morning I would wake up, get dressed to go to a job I hated. For 4 years, I focused on the negatives of the job-low pay, no benefits, no direct deposit, poor management, and no real perks as employees. I found myself depressed about life. So one day on the way to work, I started talking to GOD and after our talk and much prayer, I assessed how I perceived my job. Instead of being negative, I had a new approach. I changed my perspective. I started acknowledging the few positive aspects of the job and as a result, my interactions with my supervisor became more favorable and everything seemingly changed because I CHOSE to look at things differently, things got better. Or had they?
The company STILL sucked and the management was STILL horrible so what was different? I was!! My perspective changed and that changed the way I viewed the situation. Eventually, I realized that the negative hate filled thoughts I had about my workplace wasn’t changing my workplace it was changing me. Changing my perspective revealed that I had become a negative person with a pessimistic outlook but, letting those feelings of resentment go, freed me up to be the person I truly am- confident, self-assured, and encouraging.
If you feel stuck, you can get out of it…just change your thoughts. Change your perspective. When you experience a rough patch instead of focusing on the negative change your perspective. Find the good in that person or situation (regardless of what it is. Focus on the good in those situations and watch your situation and/or that person change. I no longer work at that job but I am convinced had I NOT changed my perspective, I’d still be stuck in that hell hole. Still miserable and still complaining. Now, I’m with a company that pays much much more and has the benefits I could only dream about at the other company.
Thus, it is my belief that changing our perspective WILL open the door that leads to productivity, prosperity, positivity, and harmonious relationSHIPS. Don’t believe me? Just change your perspective and watch things immediately turn in your favor.
SHIP TALK: Are you holding on to something that if you simply changed your perspective could possibly alter the situation?