Utilize the power of perspective

“The right perspective makes the impossible, possible!”

I’ve learned from a young age that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different. I once asked 2 different groups (from different speaking engagements) a question: “Is there opportunities in the Philippines?” One group said “Plenty” while the other said “none”.

This is even truer today through the way we consume content via social media, especially regarding motivational videos, politics, money and/or even fake news.

I recently shared with a group of 10 people both who I know and don’t know (strangers) to share some turning points of my life. One of which was when I received the news that my mother had breast cancer. As the eldest child, at 14y.o., and an OFW father halfway around the world – that was a very overwhelming experience.

Although my mom survived and is still living today, it was still a difficult time and topic for me to talk about verbally. I tried to figure things out all by myself and somehow managed to learn about this thing called ‘PERSPECTIVE’.

The ability to reframe a situation is an important skill that can transform your life and our world. All of us have the gift of perspective, but not all of us use it. Either we seek to practice it proactively or something external forces us to confront it face-to-face and sometimes we don’t even recognize it.

Remember a time when your perspective changed dramatically, such as falling in love or a death in the family. Immediately, your orientation and focus shifted. The world may have looked brighter, or dimmer. You may even have been prompted into action.

You don’t have to wait for something bad to happen to practice perspective, it could be in one’s daily activities. People or friends ask me why I do what I do – such as: running, going to the outdoors..etc.., and I tell them that not only is it about travel and fitness but also to practice the gifts that we all have: perspective, patience, gratitude, self-awareness, and having a learner-mindset.

For me running or hiking is a stretch challenge – an opportunity to surpass myself. If I find myself in a stressful situation at work, I just recall my running or hiking accomplishments and immediately my stress goes away because my perspective shifted.

“Perspective is the difference between an ordeal and an adventure.”

Your experiences and viewpoint shapes your thoughts, decisions, actions — and ultimately the feeling of success. You can also use the perspective of others who are challenged by struggles that we’ve been spared from. As a result, we become better, more compassionate and appreciative human beings. We become wiser at heart, broader of mind, and become more grateful.

If you are experiencing something challenging right now, think about how you can shift your perspective. In my earlier example, my mom experienced breast cancer and it was not only bad for her but also for those around her. But on the bright side, we didn't spend a lot of money because she was protected with health and illness insurance. If you have health issues, perhaps you need to shift to a healthy life.

If you are an investor, the same thing applies. If the market is down, you can dwell on the negatives, or average down and seek bargain stocks.

If you’ve lost your job, maybe it’s an opportunity to learn a new skill or turn your hobby into a business.

If you are in debt, it’s time to change your expensive lifestyle by reducing spending and spend more time with family.

Using perspective means having a growth mindset, embracing losses as lessons, and taking both sudden plunges and surges with the same equanimity and willingness to learn. The opposite is branding downturns as permanent failures, and panicking over lost opportunities.

This is not being taught enough in financial literacy and investing seminars. Personal finance is more to do with personal factors than the finance side. Control your emotions, lest they control you. There will always be new opportunities, and you will always be able to bounce back as long as you don't wipe out completely.

YOU ARE IN CONTROL AND CAN CHOOSE to either dwell on misfortunes or look at them as opportunities together with the battle scars that made you better.

“We either make ourselves miserable or happy, the amount of effort is the same.”

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