Perspectives
It is amazing that even if we are standing in the same spot, we can see something in so many different ways! We can look at things from different points in time, from different angles, from far away and close up…the possibilities are endless.
This summer I started kayaking and it is a whole new experience for me. I love to go hiking, but I am so used to seeing things in the forest from the confines of a trail. There is a clear end and beginning to many trails and really, my view into the forest is pretty limited.
Being on the water gives me a whole different view of the forest - I get to see it from the other side. While I know that there is a lot to see when I am up close and inside of a forest exploring it by foot, when I am looking at a forest from the water, I am able to see how big it is. It just seems like there is so much more to explore that I have missed!
This is all to say that looking at the forest from the inside is such a different experience than looking at it from the outside. So much of what I know about the world around me depends on where I am and what I can see at any given moment. If I am too much “in” something, sometimes, I need to take a step back or a step away to get myself “out” of it - really see it from a different perspective.
Your point of view or the understanding of the world around you is your perspective. You have the ability to look at things from different angles and your perspective may even shift over time, but in order for this to happen it may take being a little curious. It might take getting off the path and out onto the water.
I think that one way to practice being curious is to continuously ask yourself questions. Know that depending on your biases, assumptions, truths, values, and what you understand will all play a part in how you see the world. Unless you challenge yourself and keep asking questions, you may not be able to see another perspective or make a shift in your perspective. That shift could be all that you need to clear a roadblock in your thinking so that you can keep moving forward.
Some questions to put in your back pocket as you start to get curious might be:
What is another way to look at or think about this?
How might my parent/sibling/colleague/partner/boss think or feel about this?
What evidence do I have to know this is true?
What has holding this perspective cost me?
What would serve me and align with what I want?
How would my future self approach this?
If I were to look at the big picture here, what would this look like?
We can get curious and ask questions, but we can also reframe our way of thinking and turn something that is inherently “negative” into something that is “positive” (according to our own perspective on what may be positive or negative thinking). Reframing is one way we can change our perspective on something.
We can examine different ways we say, see, look at, approach or think about things. For example, instead of saying “I am always scattered and don’t get anything done”, maybe reframe your thinking and recognize that you have a lot going on and you are doing the best you can. In fact, you are proud of yourself for getting up and showing up because it is important that even being here for one person today could change the course of what is to happen tomorrow.
We all hold perspectives. How we choose to examine these perspectives, while we understand ourselves and the world around us, is up to us.
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Interested in Coaching? Part of the coaching process is about helping you see your perspective and knowing how you can shift, change, or reframe so that you can see things differently. In turn, that may help you understand what needs to happen to move forward. If you are interested, please set up a free 30 minute intro video chat with Dani. Please forward this email on to any friends and colleagues who may be interested in coaching.
