“The Joy of brightening other lives, bearing each other’s burdens, easing each other’s loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of the holidays.” W. C. Jones
Good morning,
Well, we are into the final stretch towards the holiday season, I hope everyone is looking at their calendars and carving out time to rest, recharge and reflect over the holidays.
With the holidays in mind, I find it perfectly timely and fitting to share this priceless picture of my children. Presley-Mae (left), Dilynn (right), and the seemingly suffering Bowie (on Santa’s knee). It’s actually quite fascinating that, even if you don’t know my three children, or Santa for that matter, you can look at this picture and observe their distinctly different personalities. It’s also quite clear and evident that their personalities and their perspectives are responsible for creating their own unique experience in this particular moment.
Our perspective and personality shape our moments
Our perspective is a function of our past, and reflection of how we view the world around us. Our personal point of view shaped by life experiences, values, our beliefs and our current state of mind create the framework for how we interact with the world. Perspective is the way we see the world. Personality is how we act within it.
A perspective is not right or wrong, it is a point of view, and our understanding, awareness, and willingness to look at the world from another perspectives is one of the most powerful tools that we have within our consciousness, a beautiful skill that is referred to as Perspective-Taking
For fun, try this. Close your eyes for a moment, and imagine yourself taking the point of view of my son Bowie on Santa’s knee. Once you reach that point, ask yourself: “why am I reacting this way, in a way that is such a contrast to my sisters”. Then take the time to ask yourself: “As a two year old child, what do I fear?”
What do the answers to these questions look like? If you take a different perspective, such as a one of my daughter’s vantage points, how do these answers differ?
Perspective-taking is about being able to understand a situation from the point of view of another person. The nice thing about this skill is in how it allows us to better explore a situation that happened in the past….or it can support you in making an upcoming decision along your journey. The Importance of Taking the Perspective of Others Perspective-taking is the ability to understand how a situation appears to another person and how that person is reacting cognitively and emotionally. Through our lives, every day, the skill of perspective-taking can enhance our relationships, make us better leaders and help us forge stronger bonds with the world around us. According to David W. Johnson Ed.D, in Psychology Today, there are five important aspects of perspective-taking.
- Being mindful that everyone involved has a unique perspective, understanding that no two people will see a situation or issue in exactly the same way.
- Understanding that a person’s perspective selects and organizes what the person attends to and experiences. Because all experiences are understood within the perspective in which they are viewed, people tend to see only what their perspective allows them to see. Change a person’s perspective and you change what the person attends to and the way the person interprets the events in his or her life.
- Accepting that people can have different perspectives at different times. As your job role, experiences, assumptions, physiological states, and values change, your perspective will change.
- Considering that the same message can mean two entirely different things from two different perspectives. A person’s perspective largely determines how a message will be interpreted.
- Being aware that misunderstandings often occur because we assume that everyone sees things from the same perspective as we do.
Perspective-taking is the neglected secret of constructive thinking, compassion, problem solving, conflict resolution, higher-level cognitive and moral reasoning, and most other aspects of human interaction. While it is not always easy or comfortable to do, it is essential for building and maintaining constructive relationships. Becoming skillful in taking the perspective of others will tend to significantly improve the quality of one’s life and enhance your sense of purpose within the world in with you live.
The year behind us has been full of change and uncertainty that has had an impact on us all, and on all of those around us. As we head into the festive season, take time to understand how it’s shaped your perspective and your personality. It will not only allow you to be more mindful of other perspectives, but it will help you prepare for the year of opportunity in front of you, with wisdom and courage. From all of us at Henderson Wealth, have a wonderful holiday season. Whatever is beautiful. Whatever is meaningful. Whatever brings you happiness. May it be yours this holiday season and throughout the coming year.
"May your walls know joy, may every room hold laughter, and every window open to great possibility." Mary Anne Radmacher
Be well and enjoy the moments
Derek