A Weed or a Wish?
“Some see a weed. Some see a wish.”
- Author Unknown
The dandelion is one of the most common known weeds that are popping up across our yards this spring. This weed either ends up demolished by the lawn mower or plucked by your 7-year-old daughter who ties a few together to demonstrate her necklace making skills. Either way, much thought isn’t given to this common weed.
I recently saw a quote painted on three plywood boards that read “Dandelion-A weed or a wish” and my outlook on this weed that I have seen thousands of times forever changed. Our perspective, one thing that when all of life seems out of our control, is ours to manage. Merriam-Webster states the definition of the word perspective is “the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance.” How often do we give power to a situation or thought or opinion that doesn’t properly align with its relative importance in our life? How often do we let our emotional wellness become drained over a circumstance that isn’t going to matter in 5 years? Let’s take back our peace by shifting our perspectives.
5 Simple Ways to Shift Your Perspective
Make a “perspective” list. We have all heard of making a pros/cons list. Making a perspective list entails writing out all the different ways you could see a situation. Not only will this help you gain a broader picture of what could be going on, but it will also help you decide what perspective is the most healthy and well-rounded option!
Phone a friend. Get someone else’s perspective that you trust! Getting trusted insight is not only wise but could save you many a heartache. It will help you gain a different outlook on your situation that you maybe hadn’t thought of before. Surrounding yourself with people you can turn to when you are struggling with making a decision or can’t seem to solve a life situation will sometimes give you the confidence needed to pull a decision-trigger.
Is this going to matter in 5 years? I’ve started asking myself this question every time I notice myself giving too much weight to any circumstance. This question is a mental lie detector test for weeding out (no pun intended) our toxic thoughts that are leading to possible perspectives that aren’t working for us anymore. Ask yourself the question, and if the answer is no let your perspective re-adjust accordingly.
Sit on it. How many times have the statement “I wish I would have…” been spoken? Personally speaking, one too many. I’ve learned that not only do we make better decisions when we take time to process through the options, but we also don’t make as many emotionally led decisions. When we take the time to think, we are giving our perspective time to be a more precise and accurate viewpoint.
Get a bird’s eye view. How is this situation going to affect your life overall? Sometimes we experience a grievance in one area of our life and before we know it our minds have decided to take the worst case scenario route and life is over as we know it. Sound familiar? Next time a hurtful circumstance presents itself, take a cue from a bird and get a glimpse from above. Try and recognize what areas of your life will be impacted and what areas won’t. When we do this, most times, we will realize that the problem isn’t as big as what we initially thought.
Remember, we weren’t born with perspectives. These are ideals that have been molded and defined by every facet of our life. Just like it took some time to get them, it might take some time to rebuild them, but with a little practice and determination, we can shift our views from seeing weeds to seeing wishes.
Brandi Kujawa
Counseling Intern
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