It had been a rough week. I was feeling under the weather. The weather outside was frigid and snowy and we were confined to the house due to a COVID exposure. As the week went on, I knew I was descending into a spiral of negativity. Circumstances that had seemed so hopeful only a few weeks before, were now a source of frustration and resentment. In reality, little had changed, except the way I was seeing things.
This is perspective; the lens through which we see things. And the view influences your experience of those things.
When invited to a party, is your first thought that this will be a great opportunity to meet lots of new and interesting people? Or does the invitation send you into a spiral of panic thinking that you will know no-one there? Both of these are perspectives. And one perspective is almost guaranteed to result in having more fun at the party.
The good news is that you can shift your perspective and in doing so change your thoughts, feelings and behaviors about a situation. However, you must first notice that you are in a perspective, and then intentionally try to see things differently.
What are some different perspectives you could try?
You may want to look at things from the perspective of your Inner Mentor. What would she think or do in this situation?
You can try taking the opposing point of view, putting yourself in the shoes of the other person.
You can look at things from a broader perspective; will this mistake matter in 6 months, or a year?
You can take a fun and whimsical approach, looking through the lens of yourself as a child, your favorite fictional character, or even taking inspiration from nature.
However, I most appreciate the perspective of gratitude. It has a way to turning scarcity into abundance and bringing a positive focus to almost any situation.
In addition to changing your perspective, you also have the power to broaden your perspective by opening yourself to different experiences, different voices and different points of view with a spirit of curiosity.
Dr Wayne Dyer says “when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change”.
Lingering Thought: What perspective do you most often find yourself in that limits your possibilities? What new perspective could you try on next time you find yourself seeing the world this way?
*Experimenting with different perspectives is the focus of Session 6 of the Women’s Coaching Circle that I cofounded with Laura Bennett. This program is designed to help high achieving women develop a deeper sense of self as a way to bring more meaning and fulfilment into their lives.
The Spring cohort of the program begins on April 1. See here for details and registration information.