Sometimes things…

Aren’t as they appear…

Depending on the situation, you may see things one way…

And the next person may see them totally differently…

The point is LIFE can sometimes be a little disconnected.

Sometimes we see only what we want to see, and we ignore what is staring us in the face.

(Do you see the face in the chair?)

You see things your way… and so does everyone else. The thing is everyone’s perspective, while different, is part of the whole truth.

Simple Truth #3: Tweak Your Perspective

Tweaking your perspective is about looking at other possible explanations outside of your own when you are trying to make sense of a situation or a person’s behavior. It’s about looking at the whole picture, the bigger reality of a situation, to get the clearest and most accurate understanding of the truth.

Yes, you may have to use your imagination, at least at first. And no, you don’t necessarily have to agree with the other possibilities, but you will be doing yourself a real favor to at least consider them.

What else could it be?

We often react to situations from a very personal place and find ourselves saying things like “What did I do?” or “I can’t believe she did that to me.” By tweaking your perspective, you can take the spotlight off yourself and begin to share with others the responsibility for things that occur in life.

Maybe it’s not about you.

Tweaking your perspective allows you to depersonalize a situation, so you can gain a proper perspective and respond appropriately based on the whole truth, which you may find has nothing to do with you at all.

So next time you think it’s all about you, here are some things to consider.

• What could be happening in this situation outside of your own understanding, experience or interpretation?
• What else could be going on with this person that would cause him/her to act this way? Is he/she having a bad day? Stressed over a test or a break up?
• Could it be that maybe his/her actions toward you have very little to do with you and everything to do with whatever he/she is dealing with at the time.
• Think about how the situation makes you feel. Does the situation warrant your reaction? Do the type and level of feelings you are having fit this present situation?
• Look for the silver lining. Almost every situation has something positive about it, even if you have to stretch. Find the silver lining, see the positive and potential.

Use this new awareness to shift your perspective. This gives you the opportunity to act to a situation or someone’s behavior from a place of knowing instead of reacting from emotion.

Bottom line, we react to life more than we act in life. Take off your blinders and open your mind to possibilities outside those that you naturally understand. You will feel freedom, your relationships will improve and doors will open that you never would’ve seen before.