Shifting Your Perspective

By shifting our perspective we can gain back control, further changing our entire life for the better. 

Who expected lives to come to such a halt this year? Who expected entire nations to be shut down over something invisible, yet deadly, taking so many innocent lives?

Who expected to be forced to slow down?

This year has been interesting to say the least. When Covid found it's way around, literally shutting much of the world down, we all had to drop our normal everyday lives. Sadly, many lost their life, in turn painfully changing the lives of many who knew and loved them. For the fortunate ones dodging the virus, we all lost many other things along the way as well, aside from family members. Some lost friends, connection, opportunities, once in a life time experiences, careers, and for some, life long businesses. Instead of hugs, kisses and the comfort of being close, six feet apart became new norm as masks suddenly became the new fashion statement.

Yes, in place of other casual compliments I've heard people give each other in the past, I've heard many compliment each other on their masks... Funny how quickly we change when no other choice is given.

The way of life changed, whether we wanted it to or not.

Aside from all this, it has always sadly amazed me how life seemed to be lived so fast. So rushed, as if life were some kind of a race. A race against time, a race against each other...basically a race against life itself. It's like there is a secret mission we were all brought up to believe we'd reach as we spend our lives trying to get there, only to find there has never 'really' even been a 'there' in the first place.

I have witnessed, on a daily basis, so many feeling pressured to do this or that, achieve this or that. Be or look this way or that way.  I've known many who work their entire lives to only be burdened with thousands of dollars in debt with nothing to show for it except for feeling the heavy weight of it upon their shoulders. Many constantly feeling pressured from family or friends. Worse yet, feeling pressured from people they barely even know, or people they can not even put a face to, just another number, heart, or a like on a screen. It's like life has turned into nothing more then getting from this place to that, getting the latest thing, paying bills, meeting deadlines, checking stats, or rushing to yet another scheduled activity. So much of life has turned into more or less a game, yet sadly, someone else has the controller.

Have you noticed that too?

Is that really what this is about? Running around frantically attempting to prove ourselves?

And prove ourselves to who?

I am not saying Covid was a good thing by any means. I would never believe a virus that literally stole lives out from under peoples feet was a good thing. Yet the quarantine time? I do believe it's had some extremely positive benefits, at least for the ones willing to look at life from a different perspective.

So many of us are over worked, over booked, over scheduled, over schooled, over just about everything aside from slow.

Yet quarantine time? That forced slow. That time forced us to stop. The alone time forced us to think without other's voices and opinions constantly in our heads. That is as long as time wasn't spent on phones and devices, or worse of all, sitting watching the news.

In this time, I've never seen so many families together, walking their dogs or biking or working around the gardens of their homes. Kids are missing their friends, yet at the same time, have more family time, which was much needed without agendas of sports or clubs or scheduled appointments. Just down time. Time to let their creative minds explore or come alive again.

Yes, we all have our bills. We all have our responsibilities. For many just the thought of loosing jobs, careers, or a lifelong business is terrifying. The thought of not being able to make mortgage payments or pay off other bills can be just as terrifying as well. That thought is enough to make anyone not be able to relax during a quarantine. Yet at the same time, it can be a sign that we all need to stop and step back and take a long hard look at the direction our lives are going and think...

We all have our busyness in life but a lot of that busyness we have created for ourselves as things happened to come our way. Many things were taken on...sometimes without much thought.  It would be nice if there were a space...a silent space...where we could stop and seriously think to ourselves, is this going to be too much on my plate? Is this going to make me stretch for a while but help me in the long run or will it just recklessly consume too much time eventually hurting in the long run? Most importantly, is this going to add value to my life or direct me closer to my goals?

Like I said, we all have our responsibilities, yet I think a lot we do in a day could be directed in a slower, more calmer pace. By letting go of the unnecessary, and learning to say no when we know it will not align with our goals or values will help tremendously in the long run. Many will judge, whether you lead a fast or slow life many will judge, yet if anyone should be judging any part of you or your life, it should be you.

Who knows what this fall and winter will bring with this virus. Who knows if things will partly shut down or entirely close down again. Maybe things will slowly continue to return to some kind of 'normal' and not be effected much at all. We all want to get back to our lives, our businesses and not having to worry about catching some nasty virus that can randomly be lurking somewhere. Yet if another quarantine does roll around, we can try to look at it from a different perspective.

There is a force out there greater then any one of us who walks this earth and maybe it is trying to teach us all a much needed lesson on the art and beauty of slowing down. The art of looking at our own lives closer and teaching us in order to thrive in any situation, we sometimes have no choice but to see things from another perspective. Sometimes it is hard in the short term but we all might find it can bring us much joy and happiness in the long run.