The Secret To Gaining Perspective
It all started with a Masterclass. The following phrase was said and got me thinking.
“The only way to gain perspective is time.”
While it resonated, I also felt apprehension about the claim’s validity. Is it true that time is really the only way? Is this belief widely accepted? Naturally, I took the thought to Instagram. I polled my friends with a simple true/false button. I also encouraged them to DM commentary if applicable.
At first, I got lots of thoughts from people who generally agreed and wanted to add to the statement. Fair, I thought. It’s where I landed myself. As the night turned to morning and 24 hrs had passed, I checked the results.
71% of my friends disagree with the statement.
I don’t know about you, but I’m really surprised by this. Now, does my friend group classify as scientific data? Of course not, but a test group is a test group, and here I am analyzing the results, so let’s go with it.
I want to address something before I proceed, that’s clear to me and mentioned by many people via direct messaging. For Christians, the Holy Spirit has the power to change things immediately, Lord willing. While I believe the Holy Spirit has the power to do so, I will not dive into this aspect since it is somewhat out of our control.
Moving on, I will share snippets of the wisdom of people who shared via DM. I was really impressed by the collaboration that happened with this.
There was A LOT of thought and processing that happened, but the following are a few favorites.
“Travel” (this was our most common response)
“I think time is a huge factor, but I don’t think it’s the only way. I also gain perspective from conversations with other people, life experiences, practicing humility, sitting still in prayer, asking for help, and going to a new place!“
“I believe that while time is always an element, wise counsel from a trusted friend or mentor can help foster perspective. I would argue that the only way to gain perspective in isolation is time. I think talking to someone else and trusting there is another perspective (even if you don’t own it yet) is always the first step in shifting your perspective. While the shift is rarely immediate, sometimes it takes counsel to break through the emotions. Thus, it helps foster a new one. There have been many times that I was too angry to get there myself, and outside counsel was the only way.“
“I think time can be one of the best ways to gain perspective. Time allows the processing and settling of new ideas in our minds and soul. However, what does it look like to train our mind to gain the same settling by maybe switching up our location…mentally or physically. I’ve learned that I can listen to my body to gain insight quickly, instead of shutting down in fear. Sometimes it takes more time because we block or don’t let our bodies feel and process emotion. We force time instead of trusting the moment.“
I really learned a lot about how people define perspective and where they go to gain it. I loved how insightful people were with the question, and honestly, I was so impressed by the self-awareness my friends had in their answers.
So yes, time is a wonderful tool in gaining perspective, but it’s certainly not the only way.
Go somewhere new to see things from above, under, and behind. Travel is the tried and true way that has worked for me. God consistently uses new cultures, new people, discomfort, and utter beauty for revelation and perspective.
Ask people you trust. Maybe they can break down some walls you may subconsciously have.
Let yourself feel the hard emotions. They often lend a graceful hand to perspective.