Perspective is the evaluation of an event or problem according to a particular way of viewing them. Alone, my perspective is limited to what I see, think, know and believe. But, when I share my perspective with another person, I invite them to help me enlarge my way of looking at something.  

Squaring up the Facts

Conundrums come in all shapes and sizes occurring at inconvenient and unscheduled times. Strained and estranged relationships, physical injuries or illnesses, job or financial loss, to name just a few. 

At the outset, the dilemma may seem frightening, impossible to figure out, a drain on the brain, or an insurmountable affliction. But when we take a step back and confide in a friend or two, we just might get a better view of what we are facing. 

During a recent Macek Maverick phone call, when five of six of my siblings were on the line for our bimonthly call, this was the question that was posed: Tell us about a recent goal or project you’ve had where you had to challenge or push yourself to keep going. What are some ways you found helpful to rekindle or revive your persistence?

Some of the challenging goals my siblings and I shared included; recuperating from an illness that impaired one’s ability to drive, for three years. Another sibling’s goal is to heal from a physical injury that put her on crutches. Then there is the sibling who is finding more patience than he thought he had as he heads up a community building project. 

Any of these challenges could put someone into a state of depression or cause another to quit and yet no one was throwing in the towel. Instead, everyone had a hopeful perspective.

Though a hopeful perspective does not come hand in hand with our challenges, each of my siblings could agree when one of them said, “Gaining perspective is a journey.”

Even though the facts don’t change; an illness, an injury, leading a group of people to make decisions, our perspective can change from “Oh no!” to “Oh, okay.” 

We can look at the challenge as a time for personal character development, an opportunity to slow down and consider what is essential, or simply as another opportunity to learn a lesson from the present dilemma.

Why bother considering our perspective? Even though we all encounter different challenges that cannot be changed, we can alter our perspective of the challenge and discover its hidden value.