The importance of perspective - how the way you look at things can change everything

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” - Henry David Thoreau

This quote is so profound for two reasons. One, it makes us stop and question if what we’re looking at is really what is happening. Mindfulness is the word that springs to mind here - how often do we take the extraordinary, wonderful miracles of life for granted because they happen so often that we deem them ordinary. Paying attention to the little things in life - the minor, seemingly unimportant things - is where we find beauty in the everyday. This newfound perspective this brings us, as well as the gratitude it brings, allows us to appreciate the things that need appreciating. The second thing, and the thing that most people overlook, is that the way in which we approach every situation in life - and not just that we do approach them - matters. It matters tremendously. If two people look at the same thing, what they see can differ entirely. If a thousand people look at the same thing, the same problem, the same opportunity, the same situation, what they actually see will be different across the board. Perspective is the difference between seeing an immovable obstacle and seeing an opportunity for growth - the difference? Mindset.

Mindset and mentality are words that (although glorified all over social media in today’s ‘hustle culture’) carry so much weight because they genuinely have a huge impact on the success of an individual - both professionally and personally. Your mindset truly can change your world. Perception creates the universe around us. What we perceive to be true and all of our experiences make up the life we live.

Perspective is everything. When it comes to your career, success, and quality of life.

In this post, we’ll outline how to change your perspective and transform your life and career.

“I never lose. I either win or learn” - Nelson Mandela.

Perspective is the difference between expecting or even welcoming downfalls and low points in your life and being crippled by them when they happen. Adopt the mindset that you either win or you learn and you will be less afraid to take risks, more likely to do the things you want to do with your life and career, and strengthen your mind to deal with even the harshest of struggles throughout your journey. Taking risks is such a fundamental part of growth, it isn’t just good to put yourself outside of your comfort zone and throw yourself into the deep end, it is necessary. So, next time you try something new or decide to develop a skill or make a big business or career decision, don’t worry about what could go wrong. Instead, ask yourself ‘what could go right?’ ‘And if it doesn’t go right, what can I learn from it?’ Think about how much better off you’ll be, either way.

“Right now is the greatest time to be alive” - Gary Vaynerchuck.

Perspective is seeing the difference between how things are, and how horrible things could’ve been. There’s another good quote to remember on this subject - ‘if you’re going to compare yourself to anyone, don’t compare up, compare down.’ It’s so easy to fall into the trap of wondering what could’ve been and what we could’ve become if we had done things differently - the things we could’ve achieved and the person we could’ve changed into. This thinking is just unhealthy because firstly, we can’t change the past and so there is no point in dwelling on it. Secondly, things could always be much, much worse. A lot worse. The point that Gary is trying to make here is that in terms of opportunity and education, access to information, and our level of science, medicine, and health we are more fortunate than any other generation that has lived before us. If your mindset is that you are lucky rather than unlucky, think about how far you can go.

“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it” - Albert Einstein.

Perspective and changing your perspective sometimes means realising that your current way of thinking isn’t working, and therefore needs changing. This takes a level of self-awareness that only comes by actively working on your outlook on life. Solving problems with the same thinking that created the problem is almost impossible and a shift in mindset - oftentimes with the help and opinions of others - is the key to ensuring that we both solve problems and avoid creating them in the future.