Change Your Perspective

There are days when the world seems bleak and gray--when nothing seems to be going right, and everything is just falling apart around me.  And then there are days when nothing seems like it could ever go wrong--the sun is shining, and everything is right in the world.  But the only real difference about the one day and the next isn't that the day was perfect, or things weren't going wrong (or they were.)  The difference was in how I chose to view the events as they were happening.  My perspective made some bad days worse, and even some good ones, and it also made some bad days better, and the good ones even more transformative.

There are always going to be good and bad days--the best of times, and the worst of times, but the ability lies within us to change our view with regard to them.  I don't imagine most people want to be unhappy, but there are going to be unhappy days.  Still, finding ways to see them in a more positive light (often in retrospect,) can be helpful.

The same can be said when it comes to dealing with stress in our lives.  It can often feel like an incredible weight--the problems we are facing insurmountable.  But if we take the time to reflect on what's causing the stress, if we give ourselves a chance to gain some perspective, often we can find a way to carry the load, and sometimes even lighten it.

Today, or tomorrow, if something starts to eat away at you or to bring you down--take a moment to consider your own perspective.  Think about the outcomes you desire and the feelings you want to be feeling, and then seek to change the moment in your mind to accommodate those outcomes.  Sometimes it really can be as simple as deciding that today is going to be a good day--no matter what.  Or that the word impossible isn't allowed--but rather possibilities abound.

Sometimes changing our perspective can help us to see things in a different way.  So, when you're stuck in a rut--in a place you don't want to be, try to look at it differently  Force yourself to find another way forward.  And hopefully you'll find out something new about yourself and others.

From President Joe Biden's Inauguration Speech:

We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal. We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts. If we show a little tolerance and humility.

As my mom would say just for a moment, stand in their shoes. Because here’s the thing about life. There’s no accounting for what fate will deal you. Some days when you need a hand, there are other days when we’re called to lend a hand.