I’ve been thinking so much over the last two weeks about perspective and how I am choosing to see things, and how I am choosing to react to things. You see, I am a very emotional person, and as such, my perspective sometimes comes from an emotional place rather than a wise one. I can spend all day asking people to forgive me, or I can start changing the way I see things. I can start trying to see things from other’s point of view and maybe choosing the way I react a little differently. Anybody else out there feeling this way?
I recently was lamenting to a friend about all the crap I have going on in my life. This friend literally took every single situation I spoke of, admonished that it is in fact so much to be going through, but then literally broke down every single situation and asked me to think about what good, and what message I could be seeing in each situation, if I were letting myself. As I set reading how each situation was broken down and being forced to maybe see the positive in each situation versus the negative, it literally made me change my perspective on each individual situation. Isn’t it amazing how changing your perspective, and trying to see them from other people’s eyes, and not focusing on the negative in the situation changes things completely!
Maybe you’re like me and you take everything personal! If you’re not like me and you don’t take anything personally, you are my hero!! What would happen if instead of taking everything that people say to us to heart, if we stop for a minute and try to think where they might be coming from, and think that most likely what they said to hurt us, had absolutely nothing to do with us, and everything to do with how they feel, and where they might be in their life. Would that keep you from reacting with emotion and reacting negatively? I think if I stopped and thought like this every time, I might just react a little differently. I might be able to feel sorry for that person. I might be able to react with less emotion and not take things so personally! I might realize that they’re reacting from their point of view, from what their perspective is at the time. Let this sink in for a minute! Stop being so selfish and let that sink in! Could this change your perspective to each situation you find yourself dealing with?
Please know that I am not negating what you’re going through. Lord no, I am not because I’m sitting over here in my corner feeling a little negative about things right now myself. Your pain is real! Your hurt is real! All I am saying is what if you look through that situation from another lens and try to see what this might be teaching you. Maybe that person who is accusing you of things you didn’t do is feeling guilty themselves about things in their life and rather than facing them, they’re choosing to accuse you. Would that diffuse your hurt and anger? Would you maybe be more understanding and not take the attack so personal? Maybe that lost job is to push you to something greater that you would have never gone for. Maybe the end of that relationship is because that person was only going to hold you back. Maybe that set back is really a set up for something amazing! Maybe that trial you and your spouse are going through is setting up your marriage for the greatest days in your relationship that you have ever seen and for years you will ride high supporting each other from what you learn in this valley. Maybe that person who doesn’t like you is making you take a good long look at yourself and that will propel you into greatness.
Change your perspective today and you might just change your life. You may react differently! You may take a step back and instead of taking so many things personally, you may try to see them from the other person’s point of view and not let it make you sad, angry, bitter or hurt! You may find yourself dealing with things and reacting to things with more wisdom and less emotion! I know that this is how I am going to try to start doing things and right now! I plan to change my perspective!
With love for you all!
Shauna
Shauna's Sisters 