02 Apr Our Perspective becomes our Prison or our Passport

“Our Perspective becomes our Prison or our Passport” 

I came across this line recently and it really resonated with me. 

It reminded me of a conversation I had with someone who told me that is spite of a diagnosis and mobility issues spanning thirty years he was “very lucky”.  

When I promote the benefits of perspective taking, I realise that people sometimes initially misinterpret what this means. Taking an alternative perspective is so much more than looking on the bright side or putting rose tinted glasses on a situation. In an age of uber positivity, there is a problem with just “being positive”. If we did this alone, we skip an important step and the benefits of the perspective taking would likely not be long lasting.  

The first step to taking a different perspective is acknowledging and reflecting on our own emotions in a situation. We must first process our own thoughts and emotions. Once we have done this, we can consider other points of view. Taking perspective from a place of emotional regulation encourages introspection, empathy and connection. We take a rounded view of the situation which allows us to adapt, evolve and find meaning even in the most challenging of situations. 

Is there anything you would benefit from considering from a different perspective?