See things from another point of view
Do you know that everything you think about has a perspective? And that this perspective is something that you’ve created? For example, you hate your awful job. Well, the fact that you think your job is awful is a story you tell yourself – it’s a perspective you have created (yes, really!). Perspectives are shaped by our internal chit-chat – all that stuff that we keep in our head and which gets worse and worse as we think about it.
But, if you change your perspective on a certain situation, you can change your mindset and how you deal with that situation. Changing your perspective helps you become unstuck. So, in this blog post, we’re going to teach you about the power of perspectives and how to go about changing yours.
Are you stuck in a certain area of your life?
Think of a topic in your life that you’re currently a bit stuck in. This could be your career, money, relationships, anything! Then you need to work out what your story is that you are telling yourself about this topic.
Let’s take an example here. Jenny is always panicking about money. She thinks she is able to earn it, although never enough, but as soon as the money comes in, it has to come out.
The topic here is “money” – the topic is a very neutral thing, normally just a noun.
Or let’s have a look at Tim. He never thinks he will be good at anything. He is really insecure about his abilities and what he will be able to achieve in life.
Can you guess what Tim’s topic it? It’s his relationship with himself. Again, this is neutral. It’s the perspectives that Jenny and Tim apply to these topics that shape how they feel about them.
Let’s identify the perspectives
Let’s look at Jenny first. Her perspective is that there is never enough money. She is looking at money from a scarcity point of view and this frames her relationship with money in her life. We could call this the “never enough perspective”.
And what about Tim? His perspective is that he will never succeed and never achieve anything in his life. We could call Tim’s perspective “I’m not good enough”.
Now, have a go at identifying your perspective in relation to your topic. What are the stories you are telling yourself? And, most importantly, what’s there for you in that perspective in relation to your topic? Why are you staying in that perspective? Does it feel safe to be there? Take a good while to really ponder these questions.
Pursue a new perspective
Now that you can call out the perspective that you’re currently sitting in, how about you try out a new perspective? This can be a really fun game to play and something where you can let your imagination run free.
I’m going to use Jenny as our example. Jenny has decided to step out of her “never enough” perspective is deciding to look at money from the perspective of a beach. Bear with me.
Jenny thinks of how she feels when she’s lying on a beach: the warmth, the sun, the excitement of the sand beneath her toes. She feels calm and relaxed. There is no pressure. Everything is light and free.
Now Jenny thinks about money from “the beach” perspective. When she uses this perspective she sees that money could be something safe and secure. That it ebbs and flows like the sea but that it is always there. That she can control how much she panics about money by instilling the sense of calmness she feels on the beach. What a lovely perspective to have.
Why don’t you give it a go now? Try on a new perspective. You could use your favourite country or song. Your favourite food. A place you love or a book you’ve read. How about your favourite animal? Try on as many perspectives as you want! In fact, the more the better. Then choose which perspective works best for you and STAY THERE!
New perspectives bring joy
When you try on a new, positive perspective, you can change your mindset in an instant. At LLLY, we want people to be able to live healthy, happy and peaceful lives. The key ingredient to living life this way is to regard your life from a positive perspective. Change can only happen when you change your mind. And don’t forget that without challenge, you won’t see change. So keep going with this exercise and help yourself live the life you love.
If you want any help in shifting your perspectives, book in for a session with Steve!
