A Change In Perspective

What is perspective? Well, honestly… it’s everything.

But why is it everything? What difference does it make?

It’s everything, because it changes everything. The difference, is what you make it…

Consider this: When we look around each day, at the world in which we live… do we see what’s really there? Or what we choose to see? Do we see a world of beauty? Or of cruelty, pain, and hatred? Do we see endless possibility? Or a cage of circumstance? Do we turn our eyes toward hope? Or shield them from the suffering? Does our perception match reality? Or does reality take the fall?

Well, either way, reality is irrelevant. Because what really matters…the only thing that matters… is how we choose to view it.  And how we choose to view it… is perspective.

Perspective is a choice, but a choice that’s rarely made. Because instead… we just believe that the choice has been made for us…

By our genetics, our circumstances, and our experiences.

By our geography, our scenery, and our associations.

By our beliefs, our passions, and our purpose.

By our strengths, our weaknesses, and our in-betweens.

And so… perspective becomes an absolute, instead of a shift in mindset. A burden, instead of a gift.

A prison, instead of the purest freedom.

It’s funny… the only way to change your perspective on perspective… is to change your perspective.

Many times in my life, I’ve been broken by the world. And, in most cases, my heart takes the hardest hit. But as my heart suffers… so does my mind. My attitude changes. My thought process alters. My optimism shatters.

Thus, my perspective is damaged… as well as everything else in my life.

When perspective is narrowed or impaired, the entire world is different… The sunlight fades, the beauty diminishes, and the joy dies. Our evaluation of the things around us becomes tainted, one-sided, and ultimately… detrimental to our existence.

Through our damaged lens, we only see the evil. The very evil… we wish to avoid. Our eyes focus-in, landing solely on the negative… and through our faulty viewpoint, we are blinded by despair. The irony of this perception is that it ensures our greatest fear: The world will appear every bit as dark, empty, and hopeless… as we tell ourselves it is.

Because, as perception becomes reality… reality becomes truth. As reality becomes truth… truth becomes life. But when our core truths… rely on mistruths, then our life becomes everything… we hoped it’d never be.

While there’s no denying the presence of cruelty, sadness, and despair, we also can’t deny that the opposite is true. Because also in this world, exist beauty, hope, and joy… with endless possibilities... of dreams, goodwill, and love. But if we only see the negative, we close our minds to possibility. If we only see the hatred, we deny our hearts of love. As our perspective shuts out hope, we miss out on the journey, because we fail to see the very things the journey has in store.

In rejecting possibility, we refuse all opportunity. In refusing opportunity, we disregard our purpose. In disregarding purpose, we deny ourselves fulfillment. In denying our fulfillment, we eliminate all joy. In eliminating joy, we exclude ourselves from love. And in excluding ourselves from love… we remove ourselves from life.

Far too many people miss out on life, as they walk through this world blaming circumstance, misfortune, and tragedy for everything in their path. But what they don’t realize… what they can’t see… is that these events can only have power to ruin our happiness… if we let them.

Ultimately, every life event can lead to a change in our perspective. Love can open our minds. Hatred can shut us down. But in truth, the event itself didn’t change our outlook at all… we did. Because when our perspective shifts to encompass a new reality, the outcome is less about the reality… than the way we choose to view it.

There’s no doubt about it: certain moments in life have the power to change everything. But the way everything changes is up to you. Sometimes when you least expect it, fate throws you a lifeline. A seemingly small event… that’s nothing short of huge. If your mind is closed to change, you’ll likely miss that moment. Or you’ll simply neglect to see it, for what it really is. But when you're open to opportunity, your heart can see the truth. Because, within that very moment… lives all the hope you need.  

When hope finally arrives, and your perspective sees the light… follow that hope with abandon… and never let it go. When misfortune steals your dreams, and your perspective darkens… fight your way back… to that hope you had before.

Because we must never forget, that on the other side of despair…there is light; there is hope; there is love. But you have to find it. You have to see it. And you have to let it in.

The decision is yours, and it always has been. And therein lies… the beauty and the curse. Because we never want to believe, that it’s truly up to us. We want to blame, point fingers, and deny… that we hold the power… and that we really always did.

Life is what you make it. What you make it… is perspective. And, honestly… it’s everything.

*Thank you for changing my perspective. It changed everything.

CLICK TO DONATE TO LUCKY DOG RESCUE!