A Matter of Perspective
The importance of perspective is becoming clearer to me all the time. Over the last few weeks, I have encountered challenges in moving some organizational initiatives forward. I have been met with resistance and disagreement and it has caused me to pause and reflect on why this is happening and why others do not see my point of view. The conclusion that I have come to is that it is all a matter of perspective.
I am a fan of the work of Wayne Dyer, a self-help author and motivational speaker. One of my favourite quotes is:
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change” – Wayne Dyer
The above quote encourages us to see things from a different perspective. By doing so, we can raise our own awareness and potentially find better solutions and ways of doing things. The more diverse perspectives you have in addressing a particular challenge or problem, the more likely you will land on a very creative solution. A multitude of perspectives can have a great impact on an organization’s ability to be innovative and creative.
As individuals, we filter everything by our personal history, our beliefs, motivations and concepts that we hold true. That said, it is important that we understand that they are not necessarily true for other people. By considering the perspectives of others, we bring compassion and empathy to our relationships. As Dyer states, “the true value of another perspective lies within seeing more of a situation and therefore being able to make a better judgement for ourselves and for the other person(s) too”. If we don’t pay attention to perspective, we can often misinterpret what is going on around us.
It can take courage to see the perspective of others, to acknowledge it and potentially move forward in a different direction. I would also argue it requires discipline to approach situations this way. However, if we do so we may often find a better way to move forward and have more positive relationships with others.
I would encourage you to think about this as you encounter challenges in your own lives. Try and understand where the other person is coming from. In doing so, we all benefit.As always, I welcome any ideas or suggestions you may have. Please send them to me at Nancy.Hughes@bethanyseniors.com
Regards,
— Nancy
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