Viewpoint

Today I am sharing an column that will be published next month.

Inventing Your Life

“Viewpoint”

By

Rob Claudio

Although many of us can be very good at calculating how we want things to manifest in our lives as we grow older, life has a funny way of derailing us at times when our best laid plans sometimes end up being just that.  I am sure that many of us can offer our own best advice to others as to how we would handle a problem or issue differently, now that we have the experience behind us.  I think of the movie Groundhog Day and how Bill Murray got the chance to do things differently every morning that he kept waking up on the same day, yet, he persisted on committing some of the same errors day-in and day-out without correcting some of his ways.  I know that we would be baffled if we had our own Groundhog Day to deal with, however, I would also hope that we would make better decisions when presented with circumstances that we had seen previously.  Remember that our life experiences can prove to be our best ammunition at handling any particular situation.  Whether it is a person or a circumstance that just stumps you with what to do next, one of the best ways to deal with that is first and foremost to change your own perspective.  This usually ends up meaning that we are the ones that ultimately have to change and not the other way around.  I know that it is ironic to think this way, since we don’t usually think of ourselves as the one with the problem or issue.  Remember that perspective and having a different view, can change the entire dynamics of anything in a heart-beat.  Perhaps you find yourself in a situation where you believe that you have exhausted all possibilities and see no immediate relief in sight.  Well think about the fact that as each day passes, if there is no hope that accompanies that situation, it can ultimately leave you feeling as if you are sinking and not moving forward.  Hope is so important because it can provide you with the strength you need to carry on and it also helps you with vision towards the day when things can actually change for the better.  I know that many of us can think of someone we know or have come across where we could see that hope was not evident in their view of things and that particular look on someone’s face can make a lasting impression on anyone.  In my own experience, I have learned that those who are closest to us tend to not take any advice from us, because of the proximity of our relationship which adds to the issue.  I can remember when I gave some repeated words of advice to a family member and it would go in one ear and out the other.  Fast forward to many years later and I come to find out that they listened to those same words that came from someone else, that was not related or particularly close to them.  Ultimately, they also gave credit for their resolution to that other individual and you then wonder about the selective memory that they now have.  Does this sound familiar?  I know it is one of those interesting moments that we all experience at some point in our lives.  Hence our best work is usually accomplished through our impact with others and interestingly not directly in our own immediate families or inner circle.  In fact, your view of things can be altered, unclear or even unknown at any given time.  What matters is that you do not give up on what you want to see as the ultimate result in your life.  One must keep reaching for their goals and it is also important to keep dreaming, as life would be quite boring without either.  Although we may not be quite sure of when things can take a turn for the better, it is very important to remember that at some point they will and it can happen as quickly as changing your mind and viewpoint.  The combination of hope plus goals and dreams, can provide for the right perspective of things to come, as long as you realize that it can only occur with your permission.          

“There are things I can't force. I must adjust. There are times when the greatest change needed is a change of my viewpoint.”

-Denis Diderot