Dividing the continuum of time into parcels allows us to stop, take a breath, reassess and redirect. The new year is here and most will approach with excited expectation. Almost all of us will find ways to tweak our mindsets and reach for resolutions.
You can rapidly list goals such as make new friends, exercise more, drink less, be present for others, but what can make this new year meaningful on another plane? Wouldn’t it be exciting to consider a way to grow? May I suggest that finding new perspectives is an easy adventure, expanding vision and possibly even moving you in new directions?
This thought came to me as friends gathered to watch a space launch. On line, there was video from above the launch pad. The perspective of the rocket firing up from below was curiously more exciting. and never before seen. Nothing changed in the launch except the perspective yet it inspired more awe.
Later in the day a beach jog brought me near a few young boys- about 15 years old. I thought at first they were gathering the debris of reeds on the beach to draw out a ball court. No. As I headed up the boardwalk ramp, I turned and from above could see their “artwork”. From that perspective, what came into view was a very large heart! Symmetrical, lovely and sweet. They seemed so happy in their efforts.
Perhaps what is needed this year is to develop a habit of opening ourselves to new perspectives. “Oh Joanne that is a lot of effort.” Not really, it can be a way to expand our appreciation. To be less dogmatic, less tethered, less judgmental, less fearful. A listening with our minds. An expansion of thought beyond hearing. A chance to see others and events differently.
“Oh, come on, let me just try less alcohol, or more exercise.” Ah, but you cannot now. Because you’ve been introduced to the concept that perspective matters. Even for patients. Some say they feel threatened lying on the radiation table under the beam. While others describe imagining healing beams of light.
Why not try that very large shift that can come with this very small effort? Commit to being aware of different perspectives. Some will come from friends to whom you really listen, others from reading, still more from your own curiosity. If you start this process, as with any habit, it will become more natural. You may enjoy benefits far beyond your current fixed or even rigid beliefs. “Well, what is there to lose?” Change that perspective to, “I believe there is something to gain”. Together let’s enjoy a new year filled with curiosity and wonder.