Good morning! I hope you’re all doing well

Apologies that it’s been a little bit of time since I last wrote a piece.

Today’s message, is short and it’s about a shift in your perspective. Now perspective is something that I find interest in, because it’s the way you see the world. I wear glasses, and through the lenses, that is how I see the world. Through our senses, is how we make sense of the world and our environment around us.

But what if our mental perspective was affecting how we speak about our situations, or how we think in a negative way.

My exams are starting soon, and in usual Tadi fashion, I’ve got timers and reminders and post notes on my wall, on my phone, on my laptop. This morning I had the reminder that I have 21 days left until one of my bigger exams. And I was like “21 DAYS…ONLY 21 DAYS”, and I had already started freaking out, bare in mind it’s only 8am.

I had to remind myself that 21 days is 3 weeks. Time is still there, and it will be okay. Because if I hadn’t have switched my thought, and shifted from half empty to half full, I would’ve continue to panicked and anxiety would’ve started, which would’ve meant that not much work gets done anyway, because my cognitive functions are being used to focus on stressing, rather than doing the work.

Now, I understand it’s not always easy to shift, and to look at whatever it is, from a different perspective. It’s not always easy, nor is it always instant either. But practically, what you can do is break things down, objectively. This can mean writing it down on paper, for practicality and looking at it from a different stance. So, let’s use the example of a deadline. Your deadline is in 10 days, break it down, and try meet it in manageable chunks.

It’s something that takes practicing, sometimes it may take someone else to help you see the other side to this, and how you can also shift your perspective. And see things in a different light.

You know I used to laugh at the analogy ‘the glass is half full’ or ‘half empty’, because I thought, what difference does it make? Either way, the glass has water. Full stop. However, when I realised that if you’re always seeing every situation as a ‘half empty’, situation, you may never be able to see any positive in anything. So, if your idea hasn’t launched into a great business yet, that’s an opportunity to try a different avenue, or try a different method. Maybe let’s say in your church or any group you’re in, if there’s a lack in an area, maybe that’s a chance to learn something new and fill the gap!

When we look at the story of David [1 Samuel 17], his dad sent him to go deliver food to his brothers, who were at the battle grounds. When David heard about Goliath, he wanted a chance at the one which had been tormenting the men of Israel, day and night. He didn’t see his past experience  in fighting in the battles as something that would limit him. He told Saul that he used to kill lions and bears, which tried to attack the sheep, therefore the same God who delivered him from lions and bears would deliver him from Goliath. And God did exactly that. If David had looked at himself negatively, and focused on the fact he’s only fought against lions and bears, not a 9ft+ giant of whom the whole army was scared of, he never would’ve defeated Goliath. But he shifted the perspective from his own abilities, to what God enabled him to do. Had he have focused also on the negative comments, or even the fact that a whole army was scared of Goliath, he may never have gone out. The odds were stacked against him massively, but he shifted his perspectives from the fear of everyone else, to faith.

So, my point is that, your perspective is the lense of which you view the world, and make sense of the situations that you’re in. We all see the same thing differently. People touching different parts of the elephant will describe an elephant as something different, one may hold the tail and say an elephant is thin. One may hold the trunk, and say an elephant is long. We are different in the way we see things. However, you can change your mindset and shift your perspective. It’s not always easy, I know, but we have to try. Don’t see every failure as a failure, but as a way of learning then trying again. 

I hope this has encouraged you, or helped you a little! Please let me know, in the comments too, how you stay looking on the brighter side of life, or situations where you found a positive outcome just by shifting your perspectives!

I pray the start of your week has been well, and I hope you have a great Wednesday.

~ peace, joy & love x

TK