Gaining a Better Perspective

Andy Andrews book, The Noticer, has had a tremendous affect me (full disclosure I work for the publisher, Thomas Nelson and I consider Andy a friend, but trust me, neither has anything to do with this post).

In the book, Andy introduces us to Jones. He’s the noticer and he speaks clearly into not only Andy’s life but ours as well.

Jones spoke into my life in two areas: Perspective and choice.

Andy relates this story (and for space I’ll paraphrase). He living in a hole beneath the Orange Beach pier. He meets Jones and he begins to see life a bit differently. One day Jones brings Andy lunch. Being homeless Andy is anticipating something special. When Jones arrives he hands Andy a can of Vienna sausages and a can of sardines. They sit on the beach and eat.

Jones notices Andy’s not happy. He tells him, “Your problem is that your eating Vienna sausages and sardines from a can sitting in the sand. Me, I’m enjoying surf and turf with an ocean view. It’s all about your perspective.”

I don’t know about you, but that hit me between the eyes. How many times have I missed something special because I was looking at the event from a negative perspective? Or a skewed perspective that didn’t allow me to see all the possibilities or possible outcomes? It’s really much more than simply seeing the glass as half full versus half empty.

Since finishing the book I’ve worked hard on my perspective. I have to tell you that it hasn’t been easy, but it’s certainly been extremely worthwhile when I remembered Jones and surf and turf by the ocean.

How do you gain the best perspective? What can help you to trigger the best way to look at something? I’d appreciate your thoughts, and ideas on how to change perspective to see things differently.

Comments

[Jim Seybert]

Love it !!

Sounds like the little fortune cookie tab I have in my wallet -

"It's not the man with nothing but the one who craves everything who is poor."

[Sonya Lee Thompson]

This is a life altering book. I'm in the middle of reading it right now. I loved the parts where he is discussing mountain top experiences and how we should view them. That there is no room for growth on the top of a mountain only a chance to view the next peak. That it's in the valleys where we will do the most growing. This truth really hit home for me.

The take-away value in this book is endless - each reader could glean a different life changing lesson.

Enjoying our twitter talk. Thanks for your perspective.

Sonya Lee