Gaining Perspective

Sometimes in my life when I am confronted with a daunting task, something that I think is either very difficult or impossible, I shrink away from it, and doubt, worry and fear set in. Despite all the positive people I associate with, the good books I read, I can still succumb to the negative influences of the world around me and feel discouraged, beaten.

Make sure you check your Perspective.

Perspective is a way of regarding situations or topics, or a mental view of the state of one's ideas. Put another way, it means being concerned with the future or things related to the future. This can tie very closely into your self-image: if your self image is low, your perspective (outlook) on life will most likely be low (negative) as well, and conversely if your self-image is high, your perspective (outlook) on life will be high (positive).

What is your self-image? I like this description best. Self-image is not what you think of yourself, and it is not what other people think of you. No! Your self-image is defined as what you think other people think of you.

There is a great moment in the movie Hoosiers that talks directly to your perspective. Coach Dale, played by Gene Hackman, and the team are entering the empty gymnasium for practice before the State Finals. He commented the week before that the boys on his team have probably never seen a building bigger than 2-storeys except in a picture, because they are all farm boys having never been to a big city. The looks on their faces as they walk into the immense gym says that he was right. The boys are scared, intimidated and feeling smaller than they ever have before!

Coach Dale pulls out a tape measure, and calls one of the boys to hold it at the baseline while he takes the end to the top of the key. He makes the boys measure the court and call out the number! Then he has the boys measure the height of the rim of the basket. Finally, he tells them, "I think you will find that the measurements are exactly the same as our gym back in Hickory." All of the boys smile, and suddenly their fear is gone because they know...it is the same sized court, just in a bigger building.

Some powerful tips here!

Making the boys do the measuring, they are involved, and they know that the coach isn't lying about the numbers, or just trying to make them feel good. Because they are the ones taking the measurements, they have an ownership in it, and confidence in knowing the point he is driving at.

The second point is that, in a very real, observable and practical way, the Coach gives the team something they can believe in: themselves. They have won dozens of games up to this point already. This court is the same size as every other basketball court they have played on. They now have confidence and belief in knowing that the task set before them is possible.

When Fear knocks, if Faith answers, no one is there!

Be sure to check your Perspective daily. Thomas Edison said, "If we did all the things we were capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves." He's right - you are infinitely more capable than you will ever give yourself credit for. Go out and make yourself proud! Work hard, work smart, and set out to accomplish the tasks and goals set before you. You can do it!

Henry Ford said, "If you think you can, or if you think you can't, you're right."
Solomon said, "Whatever it is you find to do, do it with all your might!"

If you still have trouble knowing what perspective you should be looking from, think of it this way:

You're on a football team, at the centre of the field lined up against a dozen of the nastiest, meanest looking players you've ever seen.

On your side of the line is just you, and God.

Who's going to win? =-)

Now maybe you don't believe in God, and that's fine, but for the sake of extending this example, just imagine that there is a God who is all-powerful, and He is on your team. What could ever possibly stand against you?

That's a perspective I can feel confident with.