the power to choose my perspective
We have been living in pandemic-land for eighteen months now and, like many others, a lot of things I had taken for granted are no longer a sure thing. Time with loved ones, travel, in-person school, concerts and the ability to plan in advance to name a few. I've lost track of the number of times I have made plans and had to change or cancel them. Some days it feels paralyzing. Why bother, I have found myself sometimes thinking, if what I am excited for is going to go sideways at the last minute?
On top of all the pandemic exhaustion this week has felt particularly heavy in the world around me. I am sick for the future of women and young people in Afganistan. Western Canada is on fire. Haiti, a country already struggling, experienced a massive earthquake followed by a tropical storm. On top of it all, Canadians find ourselves in the middle of a totally unnecessary federal election campaign and public health officials are now warning that things are getting ugly again pandemic-wise.
All Debbie-Downer news aside ... I have been thinking about our own individual power to choose what to think and how to react. Despite the constant barrage of outside influences I know that I have the power to choose how I respond. I have the power to choose how I engage with others. I have the power to choose how external news affects me. And, I have the power to choose what actions I take and how I react.
I might not always remember this in the moment. And, this week in particular, I have felt ground down by the news of the world. But, when I pause for just a minute, I remind myself that I can always choose my perspective. Always.
At the end of last year, I read a book called "Sparrow in the Razor Wire" by Quan Huynh. Throughout his memoir, Quan chronicles his time as a gang member and his subsequent period in prison serving a life sentence. Not being familiar with the gang world some of the stories and violence he shared were both eye opening and shocking. What struck me most though was how, over time and with a lot of work, he transformed his perspective while in prison. He shares that "no matter the prison, the key to unlocking the door is in each one of us". I find this such a powerful way of thinking especially during these pandemic-times where movement is restricted and there is a constant atmosphere of fear.
The power is within us all to choose to our perspective in any given situation.
Earlier this week I shared a post on Instagram and I have been thinking about it ever since. The post shares the a story of an older man who talks about living through polio, diphtheria and the Vietnam protests and is still enchanted with life. He shares that long ago he learned not to see life through the printed headlines but rather see the world through the lens of love. Instead of letting others define the daily headlines he simply writes his own headline each day. He says, for example, "husband loves wife today" or old man makes new friend".
It was such a beautiful reminder to me that we can always choose how we view the world. Irrespective of the ever present doom headlines and soundbites we always have the power to choose.
Today, my headline would be: "A mother has dinner on a patio on a hot summer evening with her teenage son".
If you were to shift your perspective from focusing on the outside news of the day, what would your headline be?
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