Michael

All too often the difference between success and failure, progress and regress, happiness and depression–and, yes, balance and imbalance–is simply a matter of perspective. – Paul Wilson

Perspective goes hand in hand with attitude. I think it is really difficult to separate the two. The way we view the world or events in our life greatly affects the way we view ourselves. The way we view ourselves greatly affects the way we view the world or events in our life.

Our perspectives come from our beliefs, our life experiences, our opinions, our self image, our family, our friends, what we were taught in school and etc. This huge mish mash of competing, sometimes conflicting, sometimes synergistic viewpoints forms the basis for how we view ourselves, view the world and our interaction with it.

Since our perspective is so fundamental to our well-being, it should be one of the first things that you consider to work on if you want to change your life for the better.

First, figure out what are your perspectives on various issues. How do you view the world? Are you mostly optimistic or pessimistic? Do you have such strong opinions about things that you have difficulty having a conversation with someone? Do you see the world as black and white or is it more gray to you? How does religion affect your perspective? Did you have negative childhood experiences that remain unresolved? You get the picture. Ask yourself these types of questions. There are no right or wrong questions here as there are no right or wrong answers. Your goal is to learn about yourself. Nothing more.

Secondly, evaluate the answers to see how they make you feel. Do you feel happier or better thinking about them or do you feel less? Use this evaluation as your gauge to tell you which perspective would be better to work on. The ones that make you feel depressed, sad, negative and etc. are excellent candidates.

Third, take one of them and see how you can tell yourself a different story. For example, if you have a story where you are the victim, then try and slowly change your belief to one where you are not the victim. Small steps will work better than trying to jump, for example the abyss from anger to joy. That’s too hard and doesn’t work very well.

Good luck!

Michael