Perspective has been a hot topic word that seems to get thrown around a bit casually. We’ve heard the term and know what it means. Why do we need to talk about it?
What exactly is perspective? It’s a point of view. Whether it’s mental or physical perspective is how one sees it. The key word there? One.
How one sees it is how we see it. From our point of view, life circumstances, and the information we have at hand is how we see people and events. Our interactions, conversations, and decisions are made from a singular perspective and what transpires is a direct reflection of us.
This, as you may have guessed, is why a variety of things in the world today seem so tense. Single perspectives, viewpoints, and opinions. Social media has enabled anyone and everyone to have a voice which is great. It has also provided people a platform to hide behind a keyboard and create vulgar content, bash people they don’t know, and consistently put negative energy out into the world.
I dove into this topic a bit deeper in Where Is The Love? You should definitely check it out! With that being said - why else are we talking about perspective?
It’s been extremely relevant throughout my journey even though I hardly realized it at the time. I’ve covered this in various posts that I listed for you at the bottom of this entry. What became so apparent later on is that all of the ups and downs in life taught me valuable lessons. We just don’t take the time in those moments to reflect on and understand what is really happening. It’s often a big event, life change, or loss where we sit back and whisper to ourselves “whoa.”
As it turns out I had another one of those moments just a few weeks ago. My dad was going through routine work on the farm and the automatic gear that closes the tarp on top of the semi trailer jammed up. It had just a few feet to go before being totally closed and he tried to wiggle and shake the base to no avail. He climbed towards the top of the ladder and grabbed the tarp to try and get it closed. What transpired is a little fuzzy to him - he lost his balance and fell 8 feet to the ground.
To keep this story short - it bruised quickly and substantially. My parents decided it would be best to go in and get it checked out. The news they were about to hear was going to flip their world upside down.
Heel: completely shattered - Elevate/ice/no weight to decrease swelling - Surgery - Elevate/ice/no weight - walking boot and recovery - 4-6 months
My old man lives, breathes, eats, talks about, listens to, dreams about, reads about, and studies farming. You just told him he has to have surgery and can’t do that for 4-6 months? You can about imagine the feelings that ensued.
After a tough couple of days they had to make a decision. What are we going to do with this time? It quickly became simple - utilize it.
The bond my parents share has already strengthened. My mom has been a stud around all aspects of the farm. My dad has utilized his time to get organized by creating to-do lists and being able to knock out tasks that are normally pushed back. They play a lot of card games (Ma still has the edge but Pop is getting better) and spend time on the phone with friends and family.
In one of those phone calls my dad mentioned something powerful: after a few days he noticed just how grateful he was for the many blessings in his life, that this setback will give him more time to appreciate those blessings, and that he had gained a great deal of perspective.
Perspective can change in the blink of an eye. A die-hard farmer coming up on another super important planting season all of sudden wouldn’t fully be able. Just a week prior we were talking in the mudroom about just how excited he was to get back into the field. His perspective has enabled him to now see that others really can help. He doesn’t have to do everything. Dozen’s of area farmers have reached out to lend their hand. He’s always known the community can come together like this but his gratitude for help, family, friends, and health has increased dramatically.
Accidents can happen at any time. Our circumstances can change at the snap of our finger. Life throws us a lot of curveballs. We have to adapt. We can lose our job, a loved one, or hope. I urge you to stay steady. Life is a journey filled with ups, downs, and a variety of experiences. It’s more important than ever for us to come together and support each other. Will we agree on everything? No. Are we open to different viewpoints, thoughts, and understandings? I hope so.
That singular perspective you have can change at any moment. Embrace the beauty in your current life and when things change, as they certainly will, remember to welcome them. Those changes will bring new experiences and lessons along the way. Widen your gaze and appreciate the moments life gives to us at all times. New perspectives, understandings, and appreciation will always find there way back to you. Gratitude reciprocates.
Keep Learning, Keep Loving, and Live On Purpose.