It All Has To Do With Our Perspective

Perspective has one definition of "a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view".  The word is most often used in a similar fashion as the word "standpoint". Standpoint is defined as a position from which objects or principles are viewed and according to which they are compared and judged. 

I have visited San Antonio, TX numerous times over the years and have taken the riverboat tour several times. There is one point where the narrator has you look up at a building as you round a corner. Upon first glance, and from that particular perspective the building looks like a single wall reaching into the sky. As the boat moves along, your perspective changes, and you see the whole building and the fact it is a full building built with a very sharp angle at the corners. 

Our perspective changes with our environment. I posted before regarding our different environments that we live in. Perspective is similar in that each of us has a unique perspective of everything around us.  That perspective shapes our thoughts and attitudes and the way we act and respond daily. I have often heard that those people who lived through the Great Depression were frugal their whole lives. Due to the crash of the financial system, they no longer had faith in the system and would only keep cash at home and would often bury it or hide it rather than put it in a bank. From their perspective, banks could never be trusted again. For those of us that have not lived through such a time, we trust that our money is safe in a bank or other financial institution and don't think twice about it.

Due to our prosperous environment in the U.S., most of us have a perspective of being pretty secure and pretty safe in this country. Other than the random gun violence that has run crazy, I feel pretty safe when I am out and about in this world of mine. After watching a recent WW I movie recently, I thought of how great we have it in this day and age in the U.S. The hardships of the soldiers and the citizens involved in that war, as in any war, was horrendous. I can't imagine being in constant fear of a bomb dropping from the sky or fear of an invading force coming into my city. I can't imagine having to forage for food and water in those conditions or trying to protect my family in those conditions.  Forcing ourselves to think about that type of perspective makes you appreciate what you have. 

When you think about the hardships others are in, you appreciate the water that comes out of the tap at the turn of the handle. You appreciate the lights and the heat coming on at the flip of a switch. You appreciate the abundance of food available at the local grocery market. Our perspective sometimes leads us to be accustomed to our situation and not fully appreciate what we have. 

I think I have a bad day if the battery goes out in my car, or the electricity goes out for a couple of hours, or I break something I drop on the floor. Really Mitch! Those are such minor issues compared to "bad days" that others are experiencing around the world. My wife and I have talked about how our perspective about cancer and cancer treatment has changed over the past two years. We both had the perspective that cancer was bad and the treatments were pretty awful. After she went through the cancer treatment herself and I saw firsthand how tough it really is, our perspective has changed dramatically and we realized it is a much worse experience than we had in mind. It's all in the perspective.

I mentioned WWI, but there are some pretty bad situations in this world currently. The people in Ukraine worry about the bombs and invasion and staying warm this winter. People are starving in parts of the world with about 9 million dying last year because they didn't have food to eat. Can you imagine having their perspective of the world! A Google search says there are 15 wars or armed conflicts going on in the world. Another terrible perspective. 

Our perspective doesn't just involve what we can see or touch, it also involves our opinions on things from religion to politics. We must all remind ourselves that our perspective is not always the right perspective and is certainly not the only perspective out there. We must keep open minds to everyone else's perspective. Giving other people's perspective some respect is similar to the quote "Before you judge me, walk a mile in my shoes".

As I sit here writing this blog in a warm house with a full pantry and all the basics I need in life, I must continue to broaden my perspective to acknowledge those that are suffering and be very thankful for what I have. As we all start a new year, we must be thankful for what we have as it can all change in a heartbeat. In this new year, I hope to be more content and more appreciative than I have been in past years. 

In my retirement, I believe my perspective in life has changed. I see life more as something to slow down and enjoy rather than the hustle and bustle of work to earn a dollar. I look more for things that bring me joy such as family and new experiences. I enjoy the relaxing aspect of retirement with no real set schedule. My current perspective is of a pretty awesome world despite it's many flaws and of huge potential for the future.

Have you read about or viewed a situation that makes you thankful for your current perspective? Did your general perspective change with retirement? Are you more open to other's political and religious views than you used to be? Do you have a way to be more thankful in your daily activities?

May you all have a great year in 2023 and savor and enjoy every moment!