February 2017
I started this month’s post with the idea to write about one topic, but somehow ended up with something completely different than what I had originally intended. I find it funny how a collection of experiences can secretly hide the same lesson and inspire a new thought process by allowing me the opportunity to pause and take a moment to reflect on my opinions, emotions and reactions to the things that seemingly “happen to me”.
When you think about it, nothing is ever really happening to you at any given moment. Each moment in itself is simply what it is. A moment. That which is entwined with a million smaller moments pressed together so tightly that they all become one seamless, never-ending event. Each moment is going to occur no matter what you do. All you ever are is a collection of cells that are present in one, or many of these miraculous moments at any given time.
If we take the idea of perspective and break it down into its simplest parts, we can see that your attitude and how you respond to the experiences in your life are directly dictated by your frame of mind. Negative perspective, negative response; positive perspective, positive response.
What is perspective anyway? How would you define it? What does it mean to you? Every single person will come up with a different answer and isn’t that the whole damn point? You can apply the concept of perspective in any area of your life. Whether you are thinking about your relationships, your idea of other people and the world, what the meaning of life is, even about who you are personally as an individual. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? In theory, maybe. The catch, however, lies in that it demands a sense of awareness. If you aren’t willing to be aware of any other viewpoints other than your own, then you will have a much harder time understanding the things that are bigger than yourself.
From a few experiences this past month, I have come to realize that most things aren’t actually how you may perceive them to be. Something I thought was “bad” (because it didn’t make me feel good at the time) turned out to be a great reminder of the path that I’m choosing to be on in my life. In contrast, a situation I thought was “good” (because I was excited to pursue it) made me realize it was not my highest path. It took me a while to understand how changing my mindset to seeing how things actually are (the truth) from how I want them to be (my opinion) can have a great impact on how I live my life.
I find there is a significant difference between the definitions of knowing and understanding. I believe you can only fully understand something once you have felt the emotional response of an experience first hand, even if you have the knowledge and facts to interpret it. Over time, the more you go through and encounter, you become more present and aware of your surroundings and how significant your attitude and mindset are to your life.
But that’s only my perspective.
Please enjoy a poem I wrote at the end of last year (the first of many):
“Influence”
Both sides; unaware,
Of the impact you have on the other.
Stop. Notice. Appreciate.
We are intertwined in the web of life.
All connected; one.
I see myself as positive and negative.
Both fundamental to my growth.
My mind is gone from this place.
For a moment, I see thing as they are,
Not how I want them to be.
But what are these things?
In my own mind they are still only my interpretation.
I created them.
How things actually are can be completely different to another person.
It becomes a game of perspective.
There is no right or wrong,
Only how we perceive things to be.
Poem by Kirsten Toth
For your viewing pleasure, the following video shows in both its words and visual illustration, the idea of seeing everything from a new perspective.
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