Thanks for the reminder that change can be beautiful!
Welcome September and a multitude of daily weather conditions!
As we have just passed the Autumnal Equinox which marks the beginning of shorter days and longer nights, I felt it was relevant to consider how these changes can be celebrated and enjoyed. Here is another different time of year which brings its own uniqueness and beauty.
Jean Wilson said: “Turn things around sometimes and look at life from a different perspective” and this quote illustrates how much power and autonomy we can have in our lives.
The subject of this month's blog centres around the ability we have to view situations and scenarios from a different, if not the opposite, perspective.
Recently, I was going along a favourite walk and going the opposite direction, yet this was a surprisingly mindful experience. It challenged the way I so often viewed the path, trees and buildings all around me…and it was a freeing exercise.
After finishing education and four years of university study, I find myself in an unusual position of not having one particular deadline to meet - no essay or a portfolio to complete - and having free space and time with no boundaries. This presents me with a unique situation of creating my own daily schedule and I feel that it will be useful to implement the practice of considering alternative perspectives as I look for the next opportunities in my life journey.
It is easy for us to think that there is only one correct outlook in life, but perhaps we are not allowing other views to present themselves.
"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change"
Above is a great quote which demonstrates the importance of our perspective and how easily we can impact situations around us. I was delighted to be able to spend the first few days of the month by the sea, as the element is a powerful reminder of how we can change our behaviour to either flow with, or battle against situations which occur around us. Of course, this does not mean that we challenge everything that we come across, but I suggest that it may be beneficial for us to consider alternative outlooks. Above all, this may apply to the way we view ourselves and will allow ourselves to question why we hold particular thoughts or opinions about who we are.
The picture above shows the beauty of conflict in Nature. Waves crashing on top of one another, but in a unique way every time. When considering the topic for this month, I realised how different human conflict is.
When human beings disagree, there is often the belief that one party is totally right and the other wrong. It is often expected that each party will sacrifice some of the opposed interests so that the common benefits are reached in some sort of middle ground. Or at the more extreme end, one party is expected to sacrifice their perspective completely, in order to come over to the opposite viewpoint.
But, what if each party took the time to consider the different possible perspectives?
To obtain a realistic perspective of shared and opposed interests, it is beneficial to see the situation from the perspective of the other parties. Social perspective-taking is the ability to understand how a situation appears to another person and how that person is reacting cognitively and emotionally.
The opposite of perspective-taking is being unaware that other perspectives exist and that one’s own view of the situation or issue is incomplete and limited, even being egocentric and thinking only of oneself, without any regard for the feelings of others.
Adopting or being aware of another perspective can be really useful in the most difficult times of our lives, as Caroline Winata said:
"I realised that every single hard moment of my life had another side to it, and that I could see it if I would only let myself see it"
These words illustrate the first step to take in this journey is to realise that everyone has a unique perspective. No two people will see a situation or issue in exactly the same way. That is completely understandable, because we are all different human beings. We may not be able to respond or react to a situation differently in any way, but it helps us to navigate through the challenges and obstacles in our life. If we are at least aware that we have a choice in the way we approach situations, then our life perspective can become more universal and considerate.
While it is not always easy or comfortable to think about the opposite perspective, it is beneficial for building and maintaining constructive relationships with yourself and others. We are bombarded constantly by societal expectations of how we should think, feel and act in a particular way, especially following the restrictions imposed by the spread of covid-19.
However, if we can understand how we truly perceive ourselves, then we have the power to be able to change it if we want. Once we have recognised our habitual perspective about ourselves, then we can extend our awareness to other possible perspectives and how we can treat ourselves in a kinder way, just like we would with a best friend. This can then be observed in the ways in which we treat others around us, and our life experiences also.
Becoming skilful in taking the perspective of others may significantly improve the quality of one’s life. We can recognise that there are differences in the way they think, but that one may not be more correct than the other.
Autumn is coming and the Earth is changing, but this does not mean it is for the better or for the worse. It is simply a change and we have the opportunity to practise observing different perspectives.
French novelist Marcel Proust, who has often been considered to be one of the most influential authors of the 20th century, said the following:
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes but in having new eyes"
The picture above shows the view as I walked up Mount Snowdon a couple of weeks ago, and the experience reinforced to me the significance of Marcel Proust's words. The ascent and descent were very different experiences, not least because of the weather which got worse as the altitude increased, but also because of the realisation that the descent was the way to a warm car. This exhilarating walk demonstrated to me the power of the mind, because reaching the halfway point immediately made the walk feel easier, even though the body knew that the same number of miles had to be covered walking down.
The way in which my perspective was different on the descent revealed to me how much we could learn about ourselves and life experiences, if we were able to apply the same change in perspective in our daily life. Imagine a simple mundane task which you habitually perform on a daily basis - perhaps making breakfast, driving to work or regular conversations which you have with family or friends. And then think about how you could change your perspective in each scenario, in order to be more open to possibility...
Suddenly, your world can have much broader horizons. There is infinite possibility in how you approach situations, other people around you, and importantly, yourself. You should be your own best friend, and even this perspective is useful to ponder on. Take a moment to think about advice you would give your best friend, and consider whether you apply it in your own life.
Japanese writer Mahoko Yoshimoto, who wrote under the pen name Banana Yoshimoto, said:
"Things look different depending on your perspective. As I see it, fighting to bridge those gaps isn't what really matters. The most important thing is to know them inside and out, as differences, and to understand why certain people are the way they are"
These words are very encouraging, as it exemplifies the way in which we can become much more accommodating of other people and their views on life, even if we do not agree with them. She does not say that we have to agree with their views, but that we identify the differences and be at ease with them.
Thank you for all your continued support for the brand instagram account and I will be celebrating the milestone of 1k followers with a give-away when that time arrives. In the meantime, enjoy the variety of different seasonal fruit and vegetables which I will be featuring over the coming days and weeks. September is the time for blackberries, blueberries, plums, and so much more.
As shown by the pictures above and below, I have recently enjoyed exploring different Indian restaurants as this remains a firm family favourite cuisine, and would recommend the variety of hearty and warming food, as the autumnal temperatures continue...
Sunday Sunrise Sounds continues each week on Lymm Radio 6-8am - enjoy the topic on European Day of Languages in two days time! This week, the show will be taking a universal approach to how we communicate throughout the world, and the way in which we express ourselves in similar and different ways.
Tune into the radio show via your smart speaker or via this link...a positive way to start the day! #localradio
I conclude September's blog with a quote by Carl Jung:
"It all depends on how we look at things, and not how they are in themselves"
The words above suggest that the truth of situations may not change, but by looking at them from a different perspective, you come to realise this truth.
Wishing you a fantastic rest of the month and make this September one to remember!
Happy September,
Sitara xx
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