Perspective

I admire artists. They can represent a solid object such as a tree, a barn or a person, onto a piece of paper or canvas so that the object seems to be in relation to space just as the eye would see it. Those artists possess a technique called perspective.

But what about the rest of us who can only draw stick people? Do we possess perspective as well? Yes, we do, just a different kind of perspective.

If we are not a talented artist possessing the gift of perspective, then the perspective we possess is that we can evaluate events according to our particular way of looking at them. 

Consider siblings, all raised in the same family, having the same set of parents and yet each one has an entirely and totally different perspective about the same event. Instead of wondering if that brother or sister is crazy because they see an event so differently than anyone else, we can conclude that their point of view is simply different from ours. 

Allow me to take this idea of perspective to a more personal level. We’ve all been in or may presently be in situations that are beyond our control. Events such as the death of a child or spouse, a divorce, an illness, healing from an accident, an estranged relationship you wish you could heal or waiting for a job opening, test results, or new avenues to open up. 

In the midst of these circumstances, our perspective may be constricted, narrow, and dim. We’d like nothing more than to have our circumstances change for the better, but days, weeks, months and even years go by without any improvement or betterment. In such a place as this, hopelessness, despair and/or anguish settle down around us. We try hard to fight against succumbing to the fall out of our experience, and at the same time wonder if there is a way out of feeling the way we do.  

Though I do not have the power to manipulate circumstances to my benefit, I do have the power to change my perspective about them. 

For instance, in the midst of waiting for certain circumstances to change for the better, I am discovering that waiting is good. Though we may think of waiting as pacing back and forth impatiently in a small space, it is not. Instead, waiting is a wide open, quiet, and anticipatory space. Waiting gives our lives ample opportunity to grow composure, poise, imperturbability, and forbearance.

I like to think that when I believe that there is something good to be seen in any and all circumstances, then I will see the good. 

Why Bother?   

Why bother changing our perspective? When necessary, changing our perspective can be the best and the most powerful thing we can do.

P.S.  I wrote the story of my journey to forgiveness for those who, like me, know they need to change, but are not quite sure where to start. You can find A Heart’s Journey To Forgiveness at Redemption Press and Amazon.