Whether you wear glasses or not, we have all been to the opticians and had our eyes tested, had lenses put in front of our eyes and asked whether we can see things more clearly, brighter or no change.
If we need glasses, they are individual to us. The frame may be the same but the lens, the way we view the world, will be different for us all and over time, we may need to change our lenses to allow us to see the world in a different way. We may even need a pair of glasses for reading and a different pair for driving.
So what has this got to do with anything………?
Well, the lens is the thing through which you view the entirety of the world. Every experience you’ve had so far dictates every action and how you interpret the world now. This means the single most powerful thing you can do is to change your lens and therefore your perspective.
You see, we all look at the world through our own lens, through our perceptions that come primarily from our upbringing and our culture and this can serve us well for some of the time, but does it really allow us to grow, learn, expand and explore different views, cultures, thoughts and so on?
For example, say we are busy at work and someone we don’t know well is clearly wanting our attention. They are wanting to connect with us but we are feeling irritated as we have so much to do and so little time to do it in. So, we brush them off, close down the conversation as quickly as possible and get on with what we need to do without another thought.
Now imagine the same scenario only this time you knew that person had just suffered a devastating loss or had some devastating news and they were feeling lost, like life was hopeless, and they were desperate for some human contact. Now imagine how you would react to that person.
You’d react totally differently.
What changed?
Your perspective, that’s all.
You see, the lens through which you view that situation, or any situation for that matter, is how you will respond. How powerful would it be to change your lens and see people as individuals? Individuals whose circumstances you don’t know, whose feelings you are not aware of and view them the same as someone you love, taking the time to listen, taking the time to notice, taking the time to empathise with another human being rather than viewing them as a distraction, an irritation, a stealer of your time?
Not only would that other person feel differently about their interaction with you, but you too would feel so different 🙂
Do you need new glasses?