There are many ways to view life. A child sees life differently than an adult. A millennial and a senior see things differently. Men and women look at life differently. There are optimists and pessimists, liberals and conservatives, introverts and extroverts… These broad differences tend to be more obvious, but there are also more subtle differences. No two people are exactly alike. Everyone has a different perspective.
What do you see or think when you look at this picture?
If you look at it purely as a picture, you might focus on the sunrise, the bench, one of the statues, or Gumby. You might see it a collective of statues. You may have judgments about Gumby being in a picture with Buddha and Jesus. You might thinking that is really cool that Gumby is in the picture. If you are a fundamentalist Christian, you might object to Buddha and Jesus being in the same picture. You might like the sun shining on Buddha or not like it because it makes Buddha hard to see.
These are all different perspectives. None of them are right or wrong. However, if we start assuming that everyone is seeing and thinking the same as we are, different perspectives can turn into an issue of right and wrong. This leads to arguments. On a global level, it can lead to wars. This doesn’t mean you have to be friends with everyone, but I’ve generally that found that acceptance makes it easier to create what I want. Resistance makes it harder.
Once you realize that your perspective is just an assumption, you can start thinking about whether it’s the one you want to have. You can choose to change your assumptions, if you don’t like them. Is there anything that you don’t like in your life? Change your perspective on it. Once you truly shift your inner perspective, life starts looking completely different.
It wasn’t intentional, but our two Flock Nights this month both focus on perspectives. Or maybe it just seems that way because I’m writing about perspectives! Our first Friday Flock Night this month is ENTITLED Wise-ing up to the Joys of Growing Older. It’s an opportunity to see life through the eyes of a 99-year old man. Later in the month is Mind, Money and Freedom. This Flock Night looks at how our perspective impacts our life. Come check them out or one of our other wonderful events this month.