Possibility of Perspective
Written by Kendall Bergman
Would those closest to you describe you as a glass half-full or glass half-empty person? How do you describe yourself? I tend to be a glass half-full kind of gal. While I believe I’m fairly realistic about situations and circumstances as they come and go, I also try to be optimistic and hopeful as life unfolds. And we all know that quite often life unfolds in a way we never would have, or even could have, predicted.
Suffering, loss and pain are inevitable…and in spite of this, we always have the choice of how we perceive the world around us and what we will believe about The Creator who allows good and bad things to happen to everyone…no matter who you are or where you live.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the power of perspective lately. Living from a place of abundance, or glass half-full, requires not only perceiving that there is plenty to go around. It also requires intentional work, belief and persistence. And when it feels like scarcity is creeping in, that everyone else has what I want, and there is simply not enough to go around, I can remind myself that while the feelings are honest…they aren’t the full truth. They dress themselves up as fact, but they are only replications or reflections.
In actuality, the feelings of glass half-empty and scarcity are pointing us to what is universally true. In and of myself…and left to my own devices…I am a desperate and self-centered human being. It is in the context of relationship and community where I discover that there is more than enough to go around. And that I want to participate in a bigger experience that is only possible when I choose to step outside of my internal world.
As a woman in this world I know what it feels like to believe the lies. To buy into what culture values over my personal core values. I have firsthand experience of embodying competition over collaboration, productivity over creativity, hustle over alignment, urgent over important, mastery over practice, futility over meaning, perfection over good enough…and on and on the list goes. Once relationship and community become a priority, our changing perspectives have a real shot at becoming lasting convictions and beliefs…integrated into our values in a sustainable way.
I’m here to tell you that it’s possible to see the glass as half-full. I’m also here to tell you that you can still be you and experience shifts in perspective that are transformative…that lead you to discover, uncover and recover the more authentic you.
Does this sound daunting or confusing, and maybe even scary? I get it. I’ve been there and will find myself there again. You don’t have to do this alone. Reach out to me at kendall@thediscoverywell.com to schedule a free discovery session today.