A Fresh Perspective

What you believe determines what you experience.  We've all heard that before, but it rings true.  A fear based perspective begets the thing you fear.  Do you want to focus your precious time planning for a life you do not want?  If your perspective on a healthy lifestyle dredges up fear, guilt, dread, boredom, starvation, restriction, and misery, what are you likely to be seeing in your life?


What is a perspective?  It's the lens through which you see a particular situation.  What you see then determines how you think, how you feel, and how you behave.  For example, if you see that you have absolutely no options, you will fail to consider other options, you will likely feel defeated and uninspired, and you will find yourself sitting in exactly the same place.


How do you know if you are stuck in a failure perspective?  Well, you keep repeating the same old behaviors that end in dissatisfaction. When you think about your wellness journey, you hear yourself say defeatist things like, "I have no choice; I just have to deal with it." You may even be completely disowning your power to change by blaming others for your lot in life.


If this has been your experience, consider creating other perspectives from which to view health and wellness to shake up your thinking.  Be open to other realities than the unhelpful one you've been clinging to. Here are some suggestions to get you started.


*Imagine the lens through which someone you admire would view your situation.  Consider the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors this person might demonstrate.  Try them on for a day and brainstorm new ideas.


*Keep a touchstone or other reminder close at hand to remember that you always have another choice.


*Ask yourself whom you need to forgive so that you can let go of victimhood and empower yourself to make change.

Shifting to a new way of seeing your life takes effort.  Living in your old perspective is like wearing around stinky old sneakers, unpleasant but comfy.  If you simply can't make the leap into forgiveness or opening your mind to other possibilities than the ones you've explored, seek the help of a religious practitioner, therapist, or coach.