The Power of Perspective

(View of Earth from Mars)

The greatest risk to man is not that he aims too high and misses, but that he aims too low and hits. ~Michaelangelo 

In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted. ~Bertrand Russell

Do you ever just stop and take a few moments to step back and pay attention to your current place in the scheme of things? I love the times when I am spontaneously taken with the smallness of my life in relation to the magnitude of the galaxy within which I move and experience the miraculousness of this existence. I have been having those expansive tinges quite often lately. I'll be going along, lost in the priority of the moment, and then I'll remember the stars, the other planets, the lives that have passed and those yet to come and shudder at the immensity of how much I don't know. It's like a compassionate wake up call that puts the context of my life inside of a much wider playground. I can't help but be left feeling that whatever I am planning or pondering is really too small! Currently this way of perceiving is helping me to think, not just in terms of depth, but also with greater breadth. The question that is living close to my heart now is: How can I live with a bigger vision? 

We are all familiar with the feeling of being stuck and unable to see our way beyond certain challenges and life circumstances. I have begun to see this phenomenon regularly in my coaching practice as I talk with people who are seeking to grow into a more authentic way of living but the patterns of thought and habit are so engrained that it feels impossible to see a way forward. Whether discussing a relationship, career, or health related challenges, every conversation reaches a point where the person expresses frustration around feeling stuck and unable to see beyond their current reality. Very often it sounds more like a "black & white" or "right & wrong" dilemma. All or nothing. Always or never. I am beginning to recognize this polarized way of thinking as a favorite mechanism of the inner critic to keep us from moving forward. You can be sure that when you are receiving messages that sound as if your only choices are "this" or "that," that you are listening to the voice of fear; not the whisper of your soul. So what can we do to begin to open up to greater possibility? Essentially the question becomes: how can we perceive differently so that we can live differently? 

Partly out of my personal frustration to expand my own limitations and because of my desire to help others, I came up with this exercise that I call The Power of Perspective Practice. I recommend this as a journaling process. Here's how it works: 

First, acknowledge the "stuckness" or frustration of your current situation as fully as you can. Begin to cultivate a greater awareness to what is present. What does your current reality really feel like? Describe it in as much detail as possible. Do you feel lost, confused or overwhelmed? Angry or depressed? What is happening in your body? What image or metaphor relates to your circumstance? For instance, do you imagine yourself like Sisyphus, doomed to push a rock uphill for the rest of your life? Or are you at a crossroads with only two paths and fear making the "wrong" choice? Take some time to become familiar with the exact nature of your particular challenge. 

Next, take a moment to consider the possibility of a different point of view. Are you willing to see this situation differently? I know, on the surface, most people instantly say "Yes!" However, I have come to realize that often it requires a more organic shift that evolves over a period of time. Nonetheless, a "yes" (reinstated again and again) is a vital affirmation. I see this particular "in-between" place as the space that exists between impossible and possible. It is very fertile ground that prepares the psyche to embody a new perception. It may take weeks or months in this middle place, incubating possibility, before we are ready to fully accept the perceptual shift. This is because of the way so much of our thinking and behaving is conditioned and reinforced over time. It takes patience and practice to unlearn!

Now, the fun part. Brainstorming on my own, I came up with a list of different points of view. This list is by no means exhaustive but it is a start. Consider looking at your reality from a few of these perspectives:

• Meta-view--hovering over or above and beyond (like my space and stars analogy)
• One year, five years, ten years, etc. from now
• POV from something I love to do (yoga, hiking, writing…)
• Spiritual/deeper meaning (WWJD…or Buddha, Muhammad, Krishna…)
• Educational (what am I supposed to learn from this?)
• Gratitude (what am I most grateful for here?)
• Creative/Artistic/Musical (What is seeking to come to life through me?)
• POV of a child
• Humorous (What can I laugh about?)
• Metaphorical (imagine a different metaphor)
• Nature (elemental--earth, water, fire, air)
• A dream (symbolic significance)
• Singular focus (if you could only do one thing in the next week…)
• Upside down (What is the opposite?)
• If time and money weren't an issue...
• If I couldn't make a mistake or fail…
• Failure (what's the worst…?)
• Success (what's the best possible outcome?)
• Your career self
• Your best friend
• A character from your favorite movie or book
• Relational (what is my relationship to this challenge/what role am I playing?)
• Objective (non-personal--what if it was happening to someone else?)
• Calling (to what am I being called?)
• Wise self (what is the wisdom to be gained?)
• Life Purpose (in terms of meaning/why I'm alive)
• Happening to your best friend
• POV of someone from another race, class, country, or planet
• POV of an animal
• Acceptance (not having to "do" anything)
• Resistance (what am I afraid of?)
• Most loving and compassionate POV
• End of life looking back
• POV of man (if you are a woman) or woman (if you are a man)
• Simplicity (if it wasn't complicated…)
• Surrender (what do I need to release?)
• Balance (what is middle place between all or nothing; this or that?)
• Curiosity (what questions arise when I consider this situation?)
• Marathon (see your life's journey as unfolding over a long stretch of time)
• Seasonal (what season or cycle am I in now?)
• Psychospiritual model (Chakras, Ayurveda, TCM, etc) 
• Present moment awareness (what is the "problem" in this very moment?)
• Ask: who would I be without this story?

I know that some of these sound silly, but it's about getting us to begin to expand the options and try on several points of view to find what best "fits" for our situation. I would love to hear your ideas for alternative perspectives! What other lenses can you come up with? How does your situation look different from some of these angles? Which point of view would you like to adopt? Begin to practice with it daily and see what opportunities begin to open. This practice can, potentially, not only help us with our individual struggles but also gift us with the ability to view the "others" in our world with greater compassion and acceptance. If you are called to live with a bigger vision or you would like help in gaining a new perspective on your life, I would love to support you. You can learn more about individual life coaching sessions on this page. I am in the process of planning a workshop series around the theme of awakening to an authentic vision that that will be offered in the new year, so stay tuned! In the meantime, go stargazing and find a way to celebrate your precious life.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season!