The Sky's the Limit . . . Or Is It?

Picture Courtesy of darapoznar.com

     When we were kids, the world was a wondrous place. A bountiful cornucopia of possibilities. Nothing was impossible. There were fairies and princesses and knights in shining armour. Dragons awaited our slaying. And magic was as commonplace as mashed potatoes for dinner.

     Somewhere along the lines our world became tarnished. It was harder to see the knight slaying a fire breathing dragon in the clouds that floated across the deep blue summer sky. We began to doubt ourselves, our potential. We punished ourselves repeatedly for our mistakes.

     Even the way we view each other shifted. Gone was the easy openness of our younger selves. Fear and doubt replaced love. We created systems for judging others and even ourselves.

       And our world shrank in depth and width. The rich colors faded to grayscale. Our potential was now limited. Lucky for us, it doesn't have to stay this way.

Our perceptions are a product of our beliefs about the world, how it functions, and how the creations within it operate. These perceptions then drive our behaviors. They dictate how we treat others. They tell us what we can achieve and determine if we are considered to be good or bad.

In his book, The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz tells the story of a human who fell asleep in a cave. And while this person slept, they had an amazing dream that revealed to them them the true nature of mankind. They came to realize that each and everyone of us are made up of the stars; that we are light; and that we each possess the miraculous divine nature of life.

This story shares a deep truth. We possess the limitless potential of creation. We are each stars in our own right. Even the scientists at physicscentral.com agree. Humans are made up of stardust.

Seeing people for the incredible collection of stardust that they are leads us to a deeper value of each other. It pulls out a depth of compassion that we often fail to show ourselves, let alone the panhandler standing on the street corner. It restores our potential.

That's Not How I See It

Perspective is one of the most powerful forces in our lives. It is the driving force behind our outcomes. Its power to shape was brought home to me this summer when I visited The High Desert Museum with my son and a friend of mine. 

Amid the exhibits on wildlife, Native American history, and mining camps was the Miller Family Ranch and Sawmill. A trip into the past, back about one hundred years.

There were period style housing for the family and the staff of the ranch and sawmill. My son pumped water from a well using a hand pump. And chickens pecked the ground in front of the barn.

My friend and I struck up a conversation with one of the “ranch hands." He was a friendly chap who was very adept at staying in character.

During the course of the conversation, he asked were we had come from. My friend replied that she was from Bend. He expressed his surprise, “That's quite a trip, twelve hours by wagon! " When I responded that I was visiting from Portland, he was completely astounded. “Why you must be exhausted! Making that journey by wagon would have taken twenty-four hours."

My friend and I laughed as we walked away. The perspective on travel had shifted so much in the past hundred years. What she and I took so easily for granted not too long ago was an unreasonable extravagance for a simple day of fun.

Our point of view is shaped by many things. It is influenced by our cultural background, family, religion, community and life experiences. It shapes so much of our lives - what opinions we hold; how we make decisions; the actions we take.

For that ranch hand, our choice to visit the ranch seemed unfathomable. His perspective was based on life experiences that did not include automobiles and airplanes. He was operating from a mindset of limits that questioned why we would make that trip. For us it was a simple fifteen minute trip through beautiful country. We were living in a space of possibility. Why not invest the time?

Sometimes our perspective supports and encourages our success. Other times, it gets in our way and holds us back. In those instances we may have to alter our paradigm in order to move ahead. It's nice to know that we have the power to do that.

In her article, “The Power of Perspective," Mary Sherman, LCSW, CEAP provides five steps for changing our perspective.

1. Be aware of your perspective. It's easy to adapt a perspective early in life that is based on a limited amount of experience or is based on the experiences of those around us without questioning if it is valid for you where you are now in your life. Take a look at how you view the world. Do you view it from a place of limitations and lack? Or do you see the possibilities, the options and abundance? What have you based your paradigm on?
2. Look for options. Is this the only way to view the situation? Is the way you view your world helping you to be successful? Fulfilled? Happy? Does it allow you to see yourself and those in your life in a positive life? How do other people view life? How is that effecting their life?
3. Try different perspectives on for size. Try looking at the situation from a different angel. Does this new point of view provide you with more options? Does it make things look less daunting? Is it helpful to you?
4. Consciously choose to apply your new perspective. Every day you have the opportunity to choose how you will view your life. Find ways to reinforce your new perspective. I keep a large piece of paper on my wall where I list all the things for which I am grateful. Every morning that list is one of the things I see.
5. Stay aware and conscious of your perspective. Often our perspectives are a long-time habit. Life has a way of slipping in a few curve balls in on you. It takes perseverance to continuously maintain your new outlook.

Your power lives in your choices. What will you choose?

#Outlook, #Paradigm, #Perspective, #Point of View