Helping you to calm your heart, stretch your mind, strengthen your internal resources, and build your skills to face life’s difficulties
MENTAL WELLNESS MONTH
Insights
January 1, 2015
Mental Wellness Month
It’s All About Perspective
And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music. ― Friedrich Nietzsche
The Dalai Lama says that for every event in life, “there are many different angles. When you look at the same event from a wider perspective, your sense of worry and anxiety reduces, and you have greater joy.” This is Mental Wellness Month and our mental wellness or healthiness can be positively impacted simply by trying to see a different or broader perspective on life’s events. So many of our conflicts and difficulties come down to this: we create a story in our mind based on our own perspective and then we start believing and reaffirming that story over and over again. Changing our perspective is changing our thoughts and then our feelings about a situation, and in turn this changes the way we act towards others and ourselves. <Insert “Click Here to Read More”> and add link to blog page on website
Very often when we meet with a challenge or conflict in life and relationships, the emotional distress can make it difficult for us to step back and see others’ perspective, so that we can find solutions. During a disagreement, it’s hard to remember to ask ourselves, “How important is this in the grand scheme of things?” or “Would I rather be right or happy?” But in the heat of a moment, these are things that we can do to ultimately help us gain a little perspective. If we can get a more holistic view, our response will be more constructive.
Here are a few other tips on getting or keeping your perspective in check:
- If you’re facing a particular challenge or disappointment, ask yourself: Will this still matter to me in six months? A year? How about 10 years? If the answer is no, practice letting it go. If the answer is yes, what three steps can you take today toward a resolution?
- Read. Every day. Whether it’s a self-help book, spiritual tome or even fiction, reading has a wonderful way of expanding your mind—and your perspective.
- Keep a gratitude journal. Spend ten minutes every morning or evening naming a few things for which you are thankful.
- Examine every difficult situation from beyond your own vantage point. Look at it from at least three different angles—from inside and outside, from up and down, from beginning to wherever