Perspective

Something I've been thinking about lately...

Life is about perspective. Ok, well, maybe that's not what it's about, but it is certainly affected by it. At least mine is. How I choose to look at things can greatly affect my attitude and even my emotions (to a certain degree anyway), as well as, my actions or response to any given situation.

For example: I really don't like it when Ryan goes out of town. Thankfully, he doesn't have to very often and when he does it is not for too long usually. But, I digress. This week he was supposed to travel to Dallas, leaving today and getting back late Friday. Ugh. Plans changed at the last minute and he has to be in Colorado for only 2 or 3 days! Way better than the 6 days he was going to be in Dallas. Here is where perspective comes in. Had he not had to go to Dallas for that many days and told me he was going to Colorado for 3 days, I would have sulked and been bummed. But, since I was planning on him being gone for 6 days, 3 days sounded wonderful to me. (I won't lie and make it sound like I was excited he was leaving, I'm just excited he's not going to be gone as long)

Another example: Since moving to small town Utah, I get excited to go to places like Grand Junction. Afterall, there are so many restaurants and stores there! I wouldn't have thought of Grand Junction as being a shopping and eating mecca while I was living in Salt Lake. :)

Now, I know those are not very serious examples of perspective. I'm just trying to translate that into the bigger things in life. Well, and the seemingly small things as well. Maybe I should say the important things. Or perhaps all things. I need to check my perspective and see if I'm looking at a situation, circumstance, or even another person from the right perspective, which in actuality is NOT my perspective. Rather, approaching any of the above from a neutral, non-biased perspective and better yet, from God's perspective would be far better. Honestly, the majority of the time I'm sad to admit, that is not the perspective I am using.

Looking at things from God's perspective would greatly change how each and every circumstance or encounter with another person affects me. It wouldn't change my mood and my attitude negatively or make me have a "bad" day. However, it may make me more compassionate, understanding, loving, caring, etc. In other words, it would change my view of the world and what happens in my life each day. Hopefully, out of a changed perspective will come a changed attitude, changed reactions, a changed life!