Fresh Start Monday #019: Your perspective is a choice

Last weekend, I assisted a coaching course called Balance with the Co-Active Training Institute.

Every person has a default perspective when faced with unwanted circumstances. The way you view a situation determines how you experience it, even if negative feelings are natural at first.

I recently had a client come to me who was laid off and feeling stuck. Let's use this as an example for exploring different perspectives.

With a perspective of feeling stuck, you don't know what to do next. You question your career goals. Your body feels frozen in place. The lack of action in your life follows suit.

That's one perspective. But Balance is about choice—a choice to view your situation from your best self.

Another perspective is freedom. You might have children or trips you want to take, but your job demanded your time. When looking at being laid off through the lens of freedom, you see the energy you can put into other areas of your life. You might take a big sigh of relief.

Another perspective is being grateful. Ten years into a successful career, maybe you haven't felt the same recently. Changing careers might have felt like a sunk cost. When you choose to be grateful, you start to see the skills this job taught you that transfer into another industry. Butterflies might appear in your stomach.

Another perspective is that of a gift. You were going down a one-way career road. You stared straight ahead. When being laid off is viewed from the lens of a gift, suddenly, an exit appears. Instead of letting it pass by, you take the unexpected opportunity. You might feel goosebumps.

Using the analogy of driving down a highway, our negative points of view are like driving in a tunnel. It's a dark place. Our lives and careers may feel out of control with only one path forward.

If you feel stuck doing the same thing over and over or repeating a cycle, a coach can help you uncover different perspectives and choose the one that best serves you.

Balance is about choice. We aren't able to choose our circumstances, but we can choose the point of view we wish to carry forward.

Applying it to your life

Pick a topic in your life or career that’s present for you and you have a negative perspective on. A perspective that’s not serving you.

I challenge you to view your topic from three different perspectives.