Perspective is so important in our lives. You might say we need to have the proper perspective on perspective. Sorry, I know that was bad but it's early in the morning.

We have to be able to step back and objectively evaluate things so we can respond and react appropriately. If we don't take an objective look, some minor problem may be turned into a monster and you'll be wrapped up in worry and angst and "oh my what now". That is bad enough but the real issue is that when you get so wrapped up in things, you lose a large amount of your problem solving ability because your brain interprets your response as danger and then will start spewing out all the stress chemicals that decrease the blood flow to your frontal cortex - the problem solving area. That's one reason you can possibly look back at some of your decisions and go "why on earth did I do that? I know better." You know better but not when you're in that heightened arousal state. 

It's interesting that I found multiple definitions of perspective and I encourage you to check them out yourself. The ones I thought were most perplexing were  those that had something like this (from Merriam-Webster): "the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance." Why did I find it perplexing? Because this implies that each  of us knows the true relations or relative importance. That begs the question - relative importance to whom?

Regardless of what the strict definition is, I found this definition/discussion at vocabulary.com to be the most telling: 
"Your perspective is the way you see something. If you think that toys corrupt children's minds, then from your perspective a toy shop is an evil place."

Can you practice evaluating and maybe even changing your perspective and seeing what things look like from the other side? Or at least see if it feels as if there is a difference.

Two examples:
- It's been very cold here in Texas (it was in the 20s with single digit wind-chill) last week. This is NOT normal for southern Texas. Add to that that my heater was broken until yesterday, I was cold for 5 days. So, yesterday I looked at the temp as I got ready to go for my walk (I skipped two of the 5 days because of the cold) and thought "wow 46 degrees - that's pretty good. I don't need to bundle up as much." I even noticed that the trees were blowing so I checked the wind-chill and there was none according to the app. 

Out I went and I have to tell you that 46 degrees is NOT that warm unless you're in the direct sun which i was at times and not at other times. Two weeks ago i would have been shivering at the thought of 46 degrees. But since we'd had 5 days of REALLY cold weather with "numbers" of 20, the "number" 46 seemed downright warm. What a difference two weeks made in my perspective. I think that the 5 days of being really cold even inside added to that change in perspective. Once I went outside I realized how wrong my perspective had been. 

Wouldn't it be great if we could recognize that some of our problems are based on poor perspective in life? As I have said many times, awareness is the key.

- This goes back to Vol State last year but it's still a prime example. We are all out there feeling miserable because it's hot, we have blisters or sore feet and muscles or whatever. But we're out there being miserable VOLUNTARILY. Along comes this wonderful grandmother (Mary) and tells us about the tragic loss of her granddaughter, Emma, who had been a road angel for us for several years. The agony Mary was experiencing was palpable and it was certainly NOT Voluntary. It immediately changed my perspective on how "tough" i had it either for those 10 days or in life. That change in perspective allowed me to experience the rest of the adventure knowing how very fortunate I was, no matter what hurt. 

For those of you who are old enough to remember Susan Boyle's entry into the world of fame - she was thought of as a simpleton and then as a brilliant singer, then as a selfish woman and then her disability was revealed and it explained all of what had been happening. Each time something else had occurred we had a different perspective on her (which, by the way, was none of our business anyway but for some reason we always have to judge others especially those who have made something of themselves). When we found out about her condition that put everything else we had judged into its proper perspective. 

What can we learn from all this? First and most obvious is that we shouldn't judge people or events unless we are intimate with the facts and even then, what good does judging them do? Secondly, make sure you get all the facts before you think you can "see" the whole picture. Remember that there are always second and third order effects to everything. So, someone might not have made a decision you think is right but stop and ask yourself whether there could be other factors in play that you're not aware of. Factors, perhaps, that would lead even you to make that other decision. 

Why not just stick to trying to put your own life in perspective. How bad is it that your internet went out but you are warm and cozy and well fed. Try thinking about the people who have no homes or who have to choose between paying the utility bill and buying food. How bad is your internet being out now?

Can you look back on your life and see any events where your perspective might have been wrong and skewed your response/reaction to something?