The Right Perspective
How often do we feel powerless and overwhelmed by life, by problems, sadness, and negativity that come and go, only to return again? The truth is, these things do not happen outside of us. They happen in our brain and mind. The hard part is noticing when this mood appears. If we notice it and look at it closely, even a short moment of analysis can pull us away from the negative spiral. We begin to see the situation as if it were outside us, which helps us be more objective.
Many times we react when we feel uncomfortable, instead of pausing to understand why. It is not easy to do, but we should make an effort because taking time to think allows us to see the situation differently and increases our chances of being in a better place in the future. Maybe it is just a matter of remembering that, when we feel uncomfortable, a good approach is to pause and analyze. It is also true that often we can release stress and regain a good mood through action, but we need to choose the right actions. Exercise, talk with friends, take deep breaths, do not simply react by drinking, watching TV, or trying to suppress emotions.
Does it not feel frustrating to accept that we cannot control something that is already within us? Maybe that is only an excuse. Maybe what we need is to work on it, slowly, until we gain more control. One of the best books that demonstrates this is "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl. Even in concentration camps, this realization allowed people to regain control of their lives, in a situation where everything had been taken away from them.
But even without going so deep, any situation, whether at work, with friends or a partner, stressful moments caused by conflicting desires, discomfort, or uncertainty, can always be approached in a better, more effective way. There is always a more productive way to spend our time than wasting it stressing ourselves out.
How Our Minds Trap Us
Your mind today is the result of everything you have experienced so far: every feeling, every sensation, and every piece of information that has passed through you, often without you even noticing, shaping the thoughts you have today.
Your states of happiness, discomfort, or anything in between often come from letting your mind act on its own, following default patterns as it reacts to situations.
To avoid this, people often rely on values, models, religions, or beliefs they trust or hope can protect them from being overwhelmed by pain or negative emotions. And that is fair. Religion, for example, has often brought more good than harm throughout history.
But the problem is that people sometimes hold on to assumptions or beliefs that harm themselves and others, such as thinking they are not good enough, fearing failure, believing they must always please others to be accepted, convincing themselves that change is impossible, assuming that money is the only measure of success, or following traditions and rules without questioning whether they are just. The mind gets stuck in these patterns, and it becomes easy to believe that reality can only be one way, which pushes people to act as if there were no alternatives.
The Power of Perspective
Reality exists as it is and is objective, while our interpretation of it is subjective. The real issue is that we, as human beings, often fail to understand, uncover, or accept reality. Instead, we react in the hope that reality will change, rather than focusing on what is truly within our control. And the most important thing we can hope to control is ourselves and the way we think.
One thing we can always control is at least the effort to recalibrate our mind, with the goal that whatever reality we encounter, we can respond more consciously, in a better way for ourselves and for the people around us.
Every belief begins with what we think is true, and at this point, why not choose, among all the different beliefs, a faith in one of the potentially most powerful principles we have, that is, the power of perspective.
Whatever happens in life, I believe you will agree that it is reasonable to accept as true that there is always, and I truly mean always, a better way of looking at things. We may not know what this better perspective is right now, and it may be difficult to find, but focus on the fact that it always exists, no matter how hard it may be to discover or make your own. Concentrate for the moment on the idea of "always." If you reflect on this with a clear mind and conclude that this assumption is valid in every situation, you will gain a powerful tool to use whenever you need it, especially when you are sad, facing a problem or obstacle, or dealing with something that seems impossible to overcome.
Because even if we do not yet know what that better perspective is, believing that it must exist encourages us to start looking for it. The beauty is that the very act of searching already shifts us away from negativity, even before we find the new perspective.
I believe this is a powerful principle. It is worth embracing and making our default response. Whatever happens, we can rely on our strength or faith, whatever form it takes, and remember the truth that there is always another path. There is always another way to react, something we can do to feel better, and a way to continue our journey in this life in the best possible way. The choice to start searching for it and finding it belongs to us alone.