PERCEPTION / PERSPECTIVE

HERE IS A SAMPLE NEWSLETTER illustrating one of these points...

INTRODUCTION to our subject – Perspectives

“Change perspective,” said a valued friend. But what does that mean exactly?

The dictionary definition states: ‘a particular way of regarding something’. So it is your point of view, your standpoint, your position, your attitude, your slant, your frame of mind, your frame of reference, your approach, your way of looking and your interpretation.

So basically it is your response to life. That could be at a guess between a third and a half of your life. So as a consequence your perspective has both relevance and importance beyond most people’s previous comprehension.

Change perspective! Does that mean leave the one you have and find another, or add another viewpoint? You could fight with that answer for the rest of your life, but the wise answer would be to ‘add’.

Sometimes, and I’ve witnessed it with many people, by the age of 30 you think you’ve got life sussed out. Your morals and principles are in place, they’ve been tested and proved right; so the obvious progression is to stand firm and remain with those views for the rest of your life.

That’s okay if you don’t get problems, but generally speaking the older you get the more complex the problems become. So in light of this we need to be prepared to ‘add’ a new perspective.

If a new perspective doesn’t arise when it is needed, commit to accepting that a new one would be valued at that moment. Reserve judgment on what you need to consider and ALLOW a new perspective to arise. It is likely to arrive within 24 hours, but don’t strain trying to find it.

Your subconscious mind will present it to you, you’ll just need to spot the moment it does and ‘go with it’. It maybe at an inconvenient moment, but excuse yourself from what ever you are doing. Jot the thoughts down and then return to your business; don’t immediately try to wrestle with the observation, you can review the thought pattern again later.

You’ll be surprised how simple ‘adding’ this new perspective is, yet it covers the complex problem with ease.

Allow me to explain this process with an example…

More often than not when an emotional situation arises in your life you’ll respond there and then. You may regret your reaction and suffer the consequences. Yet a few days later, upon reflecting, a superior approach arises and you’d wish that this solution could have been used instead.

So it would appear that we have the capacity to find a new perspective but it arrives too late to apply.

The speed of the answer is determined by which emotion we reside within. If we are happy we have a greater capacity for solution. If we are upset, angry or frustrated the ability to activate a resolution is taken from our grasp.

The reason for having the word ALLOW in capitals is to instigate a change of emotion, from being frustrated to being calm and collected. If, when you are angry, I said, “ALLOW yourself to calm down,” you’d respond in no uncertain terms that I should push off. Anger, as one illustration of a negative emotion, limits your process of thought.

To conclude therefore we need to ‘add’ new perspectives from the age of ten to the age of one hundred and ten.

We must ALLOW time for a new perspective to arise. Most of the time a difficult situation arrives we think that an instant decision is needed. Delay a decision if possible overnight, as our emotional balance will go through many changes.

Here are two viewpoints worth remembering; and yet as you nod in agreement they are but a perspective waiting to be embraced.

QUOTE: "It has been said that our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but only empties today of its strength." (Charles Haddon Spurgeon, 1834-1892, Preacher)

QUOTE: “Whenever you make a mistake or get knocked down by life, don't look back at it too long. Mistakes are life's way of teaching you. Your capacity for occasional blunders is inseparable from your capacity to reach your goals. No one wins them all, and your failures, when they happen, are just part of your growth. Shake off your blunders. How will you know your limits without an occasional failure? Never quit. Your turn will come."  (Og Mandino, 1923-1996)

Onto our stories of illustration…

2. STORY 1

Here is a new perspective on an old subject…

TWO KINDS OF LEGACY

When you die, your possessions will be distributed according to a will in which you allocated property to specific people. Objects left in a will are called a legacy.

But "legacy" also has a much deeper meaning.

In Jewish tradition, people write "ethical wills" in which they pass on to the next generation, especially their children, the gift of wisdom and good wishes. This legacy is far more profound and permanent than bequests of property.

An ethical will is often a personal letter to the most important people in our lives. It conveys our values, convictions and hopes. An ethical will is also an autobiography - not of events and dates, but of the insights and intuitions that define who we are and tell the world what we stand for and what we think is important.

These documents provide a priceless and prized source of loving advice and can become treasured family heirlooms. Because they are about ethics, they also can become a moral compass that helps loved ones navigate their way to worthy and happy lives.

Yet no matter how highly cherished these letters can be for those who receive them, the process of writing them can change your perspective and cause you to readjust your own priorities.

What would you put in your ethical will? When you can, begin writing down everything you might want to pass on to the people you love. But know this: Once you start, it will be hard to stop as you'll experience a surge of thoughts that will engulf you with all the subconscious beliefs that make you who you are and what you will be.

According to Socrates, the touchstone of wisdom is to first know thyself. Try it, and you'll see why.

(Michael Josephson, Speaker and Radio Commentator)

3. Story 2

In this illustration the perspective that motivated was through a misunderstanding, but nonetheless they were in an open frame of mind. If they had been cynical (a negative emotion) the story would be different.

DIGGING FOR GOLD

When I was a young boy in Santa Cruz, California I used to help my Grandfather in the fields by his home. This was not his land but back in those days it was not unusual to barter with the neighbors to work it for them so he could grow the vegetables that he loved. He would then share them with the neighbor for payment. He grew corn, beans, peas, zucchini, cucumbers and garlic. And nobody could grow bigger dahlias than my Grandfather.

As I worked along side him he used to love to tell this story of a man named Giuseppe (Joe) and his wife who moved to a new farm with their three sons. They were settling into the new community when a nearby farmer told Joe that there was gold in the dirt of his new property. Joe took that statement as that there was actual gold in the land. He thought to himself, "I have three healthy sons, I'll tell them about it." Indeed he told his sons that there was gold to be found in their new property. Needless to say his sons actually took charge of their personal enterprise right on their own land. They had visions of what they would do when they found gold. Each son had a different vision. For as young as they were, they set up quite a professional approach in the digging for gold.

They began in one corner with a certain width and kept going until they got to the end. Once they got to the property line they would start another swath and go back in the other direction. They began to realize that digging for gold was fun! This procedure went on for about six months and they still weren't finished going through the whole property.

Meanwhile Joe thought he would plant some crops in the area where the dirt had been turned thoroughly. He planted corn, tomatoes, potatoes and onions. His sons continued to dig through the soil, determined to find gold. As more dirt was available, Joe planted more crops. An interesting point here is that Joe had never farmed before but it had always been a dream of his to do so.

As each different crop became ready to be harvested Joe started to realize that there was more than he and his family could ever eat. One of Joe's neighbors suggested that he set up a vegetable stand. Joe and his wife did that very thing. They called it Joe and Family Vegetables. Joe even had to leave some crops on the ground because he had more than enough to meet the demands at the vegetable stand.

What were Joe's sons doing in the meantime? They were still working the land even after they had finished the entire parcel. They started once again in the original corner, working in the leftover plant material while they were still on their quest to find gold.

This process went on for years and Joe and his wife became quite wealthy from their little vegetable stand. They were even able to send their sons off to college simply because they wanted to find gold.

Remember at the beginning of the story when Joe was told by his new neighbor that there was gold in the land? Well, the truth is, Joe's understanding of the English language was less than perfect. His new neighbor friend actually told him that his land had rich soil. So you can see where the concept of gold came in.

Did Joe's sons become slaves to the digging? No, they were inspired because they had visions of what money could do for them and did not focus on the money itself.

Is there a way we can take this story to a higher level? Yes, the Universe provides us opportunity and sometimes dangles the carrot to inspire us. In essence, Joe's sons were inspired with the possibility of finding gold in the soil. Some of you I'm sure will draw your own meaning, but here is one to consider. Go out and pretend that there is gold in all your challenges and setbacks so that you can be inspired to motivate yourself to allow the Universe to provide all that you need and then some. The Universe will never give up on you, if you never give up on yourself.

Tony Masiello, © 2006

4. ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS

QUESTION: “Why is everything a struggle?”

ANSWER: Most people assume that ‘a struggle’ will make you weak. In actual fact it makes you stronger and wiser

THE STRUGGLE

My friend is assistant curator at the Niagara Butterfly Conservatory. My son Ryan, who is 10, and I went to visit there earlier this summer. Margaret explained all about the exhibits and told us all kinds of things about butterflies. I was particularly struck by her comment that if someone just cracked open and released the butterfly out of its cocoon it would be unable to fly. It would not really be able to survive. It was the struggle of getting out of the cocoon that gave it the strength to survive and fly.

After that I walked around the exhibit area in awe and drove home with Ryan At the time I was having real independence struggle with Ryan's older sister who was almost 20. Things were tense and difficult. I knew when she went back to university quite a distance from home I was going to be a new empty nester. Ryan lives with his Mom most of the time. That story and the butterfly exhibit really helped me let go and move on. I realized I cannot do everything or fix everything - she has to 'struggle out her cocoon'.

As she drove away with her room mate I silently said 'work to break out of your cocoon and learn to fly my beautiful rainbow coloured butterfly. The butterflies taught me how to let go.

(Ken Elliott, CANADA)

5. PHILOSOPHICAL TIPS & QUOTES

"You don't get to choose how you're going to die. Or when. You can only decide how you're going to live - now."  (Joan Baez, Singer, Songwriter)

"If you make the unconditional commitment to reach your most important goals, if the strength of your decision is sufficient, you will find the way and the power to achieve your goals."  (Robert Conklin, Teacher, Author and Speaker)

"It is inevitable that some defeat will enter even the most victorious life. The human spirit is never finished when it is defeated - it is finished when it surrenders." 

(Ben Stein, Professor and Writer)

Bye for now.

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Phil Booker
Editor, Author, Businessman and Philosopher of Life.
Providing you with the Weekly Newsletter - WISDOM 4U

 

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