A Simple Matter of Perspective

Every one of us is unique. Our fingerprints are unique, our family and set of friends are unique combinations. Even the experiences we have and the order of those experiences in this life are unique to us. Yet, as unique as we are as individuals, we all desire to feel the same positive feelings and want similar things from life.  I've had the opportunity to work with many people from all over the world and have seen this first hand.  We all experience problems or things that upset us. Each of these with different chains of events, players and circumstances, but there is one thing each of these unique problems has in common.  We are upset because of how we perceive, or interpret, the experience.  It is our perception that says we don’t like it and we aren’t experiencing the feeling we desire. 

We go through life presented with many of the same situations. One person is affected by the situation one way while the person right next to them can go through the exact same situation and experience it completely different.  How is that even possible?  Perception is how that is possible.  We each see the situation from a slightly different angle and that shifts the perspective. 

Here is an example of this perception shift.  Two people driving down the road suddenly come up on an injured dog.  One person drives around the dog and keeps going about their day.  The second person slams on their brakes, gets out of the car in tears, kneels down next to the dog, and pleads for the dog to be all right.  It is the same situation, yet we have two completely different responses because they each see the dog from a different perspective. 

Hmmm. What happened? 

The first person was in a hurry to get home to the kids.  The babysitter called saying one of the children was badly hurt because they fell out of a tree.  When the first person comes up on the hurt dog, they don’t see that injured dog as important in that moment.  They drive around the dog to get to what is most important to them in that moment, their hurting child. 

You can probably guess the second person was the owner of the injured dog.  WOW, that is a completely different perspective or angle to see the situation. That shift in perspective created a deep emotional reaction. 

This shift in perspective applies to any situation.  There are as many perspectives and angles to see a situation as there are people on the planet.  From the dog example each perspective was neither absolute right or absolute wrong.  Knowing this, you can start to feel relief and begin to see it is possible to see situations, people and even the world differently.  All you have to do is shift your perspective. 

Imagine that, a simple shift in how you decide to see a situation can change how you react, change the emotions you feel and can change your life. 

I want to share a powerful perspective shift experiment with you.  This experiment is so much fun.  The next time you find yourself thinking or saying, “I don’t want to…” just pause and notice for a few seconds.  Then take a moment and ask yourself, “Alright, if I don’t what that, what do I want?”  Allow your mind to focus on the feeling of what it is you want.  This simple and subtle shift will start to change your perceptions and create a radical difference in your life.  Commit to this for the next 7 days and see what positive shifts happen to your thoughts, emotions, perspectives, and in your life. 

Everyone I have talked to about the shift loves how it creates positive shift in their relationships, work, and even in how they see themselves.  I would love to hear your stories of how this experiment is playing out in your life.   Share this article with your friends, so you can have fun with this experiment together. 

If you find this helpful or know someone who needs to hear topics like these, please be sure to share.  Be a life changer. You never know what may change the course of someone’s life. 

- The Place of Insight