The Power of Perspective

It's amazing how our perspective can alter so much.  I mean, two people can see the same thing entirely differently.  Christa and I had that experience this past week.  For Christmas my wonderful wife gave me tickets to local NBA game.  It was a BYU alumni event and part of the ticket price went towards BYU.  From my point of view we were going to a Denver Nuggets game.  From my wife's point of view we were going to a Utah Jazz game.  As it turned out - we were both right. (Well, to be honest, it was more of a Nuggets game than a Jazz game based on the lopsided score.)

If you can't tell from our blog or from talking to us - our house has taken up quite a bit of our physical and mental energy over the last few months.  It has been taxing on all of us.  When we think about our house we can see the effort we have put into it positively or not so positively - all depending on our perspective.  We have the choice to see all the work we have done as an accomplishment - something to be proud of or we can see the errors, the imperfections, the work left to be done and be filled with despair.  

We choose to see our house positively or negatively.  This is obvious when we go to bed one night thinking about how great our house looks and when we complain to each other the next day about how bad our house looks. Our perspective is a choice.

Interestingly enough, I don't think we make that choice in the moment we cast our eyes around our unfinished house.  We decide how we will view things well before our eyes ever gaze upon them.  

If I am angry, tired, or annoyed I am more likely to view my house, my car, my body, my job, and my bank account negatively.  Conversely, if I am at peace - if I have recently remembered a positive experience, had recent success finishing a project, or if I have recently had a good interaction with someone - I am more likely to view my life positively.  Our choice of perspective depends on how we choose to feel in our heart.  

So here are some pictures of our kitchen.  In some ways there has been tremendous progress.  In other ways the finish line is a long way off.  Our kitchen is a daily, visual reminder of our successes and of our shortcomings.  

If you view something in you life negatively I challenge you to remember.  Remember a positive experience you have had and try to allow that memory to change your heart.  Change your heart and it will change your perspective. Change your perspective and you can change anything.