Many people are limited in their ability to travel, but exposing oneself to something different might be closer than one might expect. Reading new stories and ideas, going to a new place locally, talking to new people and many other actions can expand your mind. (Paul Garland/Flickr)
I’ve recently been writing a lot about topics that relate back to the overall idea of perspective. The older I get, the more important the idea of perspective becomes.
The world is how we see it and thus we can choose, at least to a certain extent, through which lens we view it. The world is both the view of a small study room or the horizon from the peak of Mount Everest, reflecting the fact that this world has beauty and blandness – same as our thoughts.
There is no singular way of seeing the world and we can make conscious decisions to change our perspectives. In its most literal and figurative meanings, as shift in perspective consists of both physically changing what you see, but also mentally changing how you think and perceive. Both have the potential to shift one’s perspective.
No matter where you are and what you get to experience, life is a balancing act. As much a consistency is key, so is change.
Many people are limited in their ability to travel, but exposing oneself to something different might be closer than one might expect. Reading new stories and ideas, going to a new place locally, talking to new people and many other actions can expand your mind.
Opening yourself to new personalities, art, concepts and ideas might not change your overall perspective, but it will freshen it. Keeping the mind fresh and inspired is vital for our wellbeing.
Also, with the Internet, you can travel anywhere online and view stories from around the world. From tragedies to discovery, you can see a world outside of your peripheral view.
A perfect example would be a photo blog titled Humans of New York, run by Brandon Stanton. He goes all around New York City, and recently countries like Iran and Pakistan, and asks people what their stories are. You can read about others’ tragedies and triumphs and realize that there are other people out there besides you. You can see through others’ eyes only to have a shifted idea of the world itself and your life within it all.
If all else fails and you feel as though you’ve exhausted all opportunities of expanding your perspective, there’s one thing that you might not have tried. Go outside at night where there isn’t too much light pollution and look up at the stars.
Take comfort in your relatively tiny, yet uniquely beautiful and purposeful existence all at once. Revel in the vast beauty of the universe and the answers not yet uncovered. Sometimes we lose sight of the bigger picture – don’t allow yourself to get stuck.
Your perspective is as small as a study room or as vast as the universe, and you know what the incredible thing is? You get to decide which you see.