Tag Archives: perspective

Perspective

A wise man once said, “We can complain that rose bushes have thorns or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.” This wise man happened to be an amazing leader of our country during a time when our country was falling apart. Abraham Lincoln had plenty he could complain about. Leading a country that was at war with each other would be daunting for anyone, but he led with grace and chose to see the beauty rather than the destruction. As single parents it is easy to complain. Raising a child alone is tough. Being divorced is a constant challenge. Your … Continue reading →

Heart. Broken.

The holidays will never, ever be the same for the families whose loved ones were tragically gunned down yesterday in Connecticut. Life will never be the same for them. If you are a parent, life is also likely different for you following Friday’s mass murder madness. It can be. It should be. That is, if you are able to gain perspective from the senseless act of violence. It’s one of life’s cruelest ironies:  To gain perspective we must often lose something incredibly precious. In the case of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, more than two dozen families lost their … Continue reading →

Impress Your Teachers

For better or for worse I’m around a lot of teachers this time of the year (and throughout the coming year). This is the time when most teachers are preparing their courses. They sit and create outlines. They type up their syllabi. They consult the required textbooks for the course they are about to teach. In all of this preparation (something that most take very seriously) there is an underlying anxiety that is manifested from horror stories and past experiences of teaching. This anxiety is expressed normally as a joke to lessen the sense of unease these teachers feel as … Continue reading →

Before You React

I’ll bet we have all experienced the situation where our spouse says or does something, and we react and then wish we hadn’t been so quick to react. But it’s too late. So here are a couple of suggestions for next time you feel like reacting that way. Stop and think about the effect of your words and the choice of them. Is there a better way of phrasing them? Honesty is good in a marriage but it needs to be tempered with tact. Is there a better time to voice your concerns? The wrong words at the wrong time … Continue reading →

Perspective Plays a Big Part

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Perspective plays a big part in marriage. Perspective is not something just confined to photography and the creative arts. If we want a happy lasting marriage we need to have the right perspective. In the scheme of life, we need to decide firstly on having a positive perspective. This means looking at your marriage and your spouse in the best light possible. All too often we can be blind to all the loving, kind and thoughtful things our spouse does. But as soon as they make a mistake or do something that annoys or displeases us, we are quick to … Continue reading →

Perspective Makes a Big Difference

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Have you ever noticed that some photos really seem to emphasize the best features of an object or person? When you see one of these photos, you’re instantly drawn to a quality in the photo, but you don’t always recognize what makes these photos so brilliant. While there are many elements to a great photo, might I suggest that perspective may be one of the keys to what you love about the photo. The opposite is true as well. You’ve most likely noticed this in an unflattering photo of yourself—-most of us have at least one of these that we … Continue reading →

Weddings: Putting All That Planning Into Perspective

I’m conducting an experiment. Want to be a part of it? I’m trying to figure out how important all that wedding preparation ends up being. I got the idea back when my mom moved in with us earlier this year. I had to clean out the closet in what became her room so she’d have a place to hang her clothes. I ended up finding several wedding-related items. My wedding dress was in there. I knew it was in one of the closets, but if you’d asked me which one I wouldn’t have been able to tell you. I also … Continue reading →

Change What You’re Looking At, and Change Your Perspective

Sitting in the same desk, looking at the same wall, or having the same photos of your kids as babies staring back at you can be reassuring. You know what to expect and you feel comfortable and at home. It can also get boring, stifling, and keep you from seeing the world from a fresh perspective. It might be necessary to change what you look at while you work in order to get new inspiration. This strategy of changing the environment to jump-start inspiration is not new. In fact, it is the philosophy behind retreats, vacations and even going out … Continue reading →

Open Yourself to the Opportunities

It may not look like your life is full of opportunities—in fact, during the average day it may just look like duties, responsibilities, and “have to’s”—not exactly what one might think of when one looks for opportunities. But what are challenges and obligations if not really opportunities in disguise? For me, shifting my thinking to “opportunities” can be incredibly powerful. Of course, as I am only human I do not always remember to do it! For some reason I cannot help but get bogged down with feeling a bit downtrodden and weighted with obligations. Parenting and running a family solo … Continue reading →

Worrying Doesn’t Help

I know this is a cliché, after all, how many times have you been told to stop worrying because worrying does not help the situation? We’ve all heard it a thousand times and yet, many of us find ourselves right back here in the pit of worry. As a parent, particularly, it can be tough to break the worry habit. I am learning, however, that there are some constructive things I can do when I start to feel myself wrestling with worry… Here what happens when I get into a state of worry—not only do I give into feeling stress … Continue reading →