Sometimes we feel plagued by the sensation of being “stuck” in our lives. We describe ourselves as being “in a rut” as every day feels monotonous. Yet we’re ultimately in control of our own lives and when we begin to take back ownership, our environment can transform. As you cannot achieve a different output without first changing the input. That means altering our perspective.
Our perspective is the way we perceive things around us. By reevaluating our interpretation of our surroundings we can start to focus on what matters. Everyday your mind automatically filters all of the information you take in, to tell you what is the most important. If you’re focused on only taking in the negativity around you, you might be closing yourself off to opportunities. A new perspective could be the key to your success.
If you want to achieve something, you must adopt the mindset that makes that possible. Your ability to change your perspective is a good indicator of your potential to be successful. It can keep you on track by allowing you to see the big picture and not get weighed down by small details. It can keep you motivated as you push past small failures along the way and it can make you much more receptive as you seize opportunities to learn and grow in any situation. By putting yourself in control of your life, you have the ability to take advantage of what comes your way. So how can we begin changing our perspective today?
Manage your expectations
Remember that you’re only in charge of yourself, you can’t control what others do or what life throws at you. But if you feel disappointed, you can take action. Managing your expectations means setting yourself up for the greatest potential outcome by recognizing strengths and weaknesses. If you constantly have high expectations for someone that has shown themselves to be unreliable over and over again, you are wasting time and energy. Always clearly communicate what you need and avoid making assumptions.
Practice gratitude to attract more positivity and combat negativity
If your default is to feel negatively about a situation, you have to retrain yourself by practicing positive thoughts. Express things you feel positively about everyday, tell the people around you that you appreciate them and why. Remind yourself of your strengths and admire what’s great in your life. When we feel grateful we shift the focus on to the things that give us joy, not what creates anxiety that can make us feel powerless. I think this is an important point of view because too often do we give our self the worst beatdown ever and focus on all things the have negatively impacted our life. But when we learn to appreciate what we have and what we are capable of and compare it with what we have created or more importantly what we can create…real magic can happen with this transformation. Everyday is a new day and holding on to negativity from a previous day or week or month is sure to prevent you from spotting and taking advantage of the many opportunities that exist today and in the future.
Step outside of yourself to see the big picture and practice seeing other’s perspectives
A successful person recognizes that failures and challenges don’t mean you’re doing something wrong and aren’t a sign to quit. That’s because they position themselves outside of a problem to see the big picture and can see when they are still on the right path. Part of that also means acknowledging how other people feel or see the situation around you. Empathy will lead to a better understanding of our environment that can help us maneuver through obstacles.
Avoid a victim mentality and relying on other people’s affirmation
If you’ve adopted a victim mentality you might feel powerless, like your problems are too great and that life always works outside of your favor. Put yourself back in charge by recognizing the things in life you can change. Take responsibility for your thoughts, feelings, and actions and avoid relying on others to give you that power by constantly seeking validation.
Changing your perspective in life takes practice and determination. However ultimately you can re-energize the way you feel about your surroundings and how you move through the world.
Remember it all starts with you. Decide to improve then decide to action.
