The Power of Perspective

“Just remember…everything is how you perceive it.” A statement my mother would recapitulate each and every time I’d vent and rant about the mishaps and misfortunes in my life. My past self would again and again brush the line off my shoulder, leaving it in the dust with the other cliches I was told as I was convinced they were never valid. How could I so suddenly change the way I think? There could be no way. It couldn’t work.

The thing is, though, it could. Granted it had taken some time to grasp, I finally understood the power of perspective. I evidently realized how even the slightest shift in the way one thinks could completely alter his or her thoughts and feelings. Things did not have to be so negative or cynical.

Understanding my ability to look at things in any way I wanted changed everything. I no longer spent hours, days, or months dwelling and brooding over occurrences I could not change. I would not overthink myself into a melancholy state as I came to the realization that, although I had no power to control the affairs thrown at me, I had the power to control how I felt about them.

Acknowledging my ability to change my own perspective did not just help to alter my thoughts and feelings, though. I was able to look at things more objectively. I could so easily step outside of my body and into another’s shoes, empathizing with others’ thoughts and feelings, as well. I understood that unfavorable events were a part of life, that they were bound to occur and did not have to be obsessed over. More importantly, I learned how to move on. I was able to find a way to move past negative incidences and to save myself the grief and sadness.

In my ultimate opinion, everything happens for a reason. The situations bestowed upon us are sometimes so out of our control, leaving us to wonder why they had to happen. And although we cannot control what exactly does happen to us, we can most certainly control how we think, feel, and go about them.