06: Redefine Your Perspective

[00:00:00]I woke up early this morning while it was still dark and took a walk down to the beach. Just so you steps from our home and cannon beach, Oregon of all the places in the world. I visited it. It continues to be one of my favorite spots. One of the reasons I found myself moving to Oregon from New York city, which will be about 20 years ago, later this November.

I walked over to, this large piece of driftwood. That's been there for as many years as I can remember that I've been coming to this beach. and although I came out before the sun came up to get in my morning run, which was the purpose of my walk out to the beach. I found myself instead of running, I was sitting down and I was getting mesmerized.

For the next half hour, just watching the waves come in and then go out, come in and then go out, come in and then go out. And then I began to ask myself, why do we get so mesmerized by watching the ocean or listening to the ocean? And I believe it's because we feel infinitely small in comparison to the endless view of water and that incredible sound of the waves hitting the shore.

Just the sheer power of that sound. Why did we get so mesmerized by staring out across huge valleys or out at massive mountains?  it's because we feel infinite, at least small in front of that gaping expanse or snow-capped. Why did we get so mesmerized by staring out at the twinkling nightlights of the world's biggest cities?

I believe it's because we feel infinitely small. As we look up at the towering buildings or look down at the city below, you see it doesn't matter what kind of view it is. It could be nature. It could be cities, human beings love big views. We travel to see them. We buy houses and condos and land to be near them.

We take hikes and climb Hills and drive miles on end to experience them. And it's because it's healthy to feel small in front of them. We experience something different. When we look at them, see it's necessary for our perspective to be recalibrated. It's no surprise to me that the eight wonders of the world, right?

The eight wonders of the world blend both incredibly natural views with human elements, right? Again, the dichotomy of putting the infinitely small human next to the incredible power of the natural world in which we live, Machu Picchu in Peru, right? Teaching Eatsa in Mexico, Petra in Jordan, the great wall of China, Chrysler Redeemer in Brazil.

Colosseum in Italy, Taj Mahal in India, the great pyramids of Egypt, these iconic views cause amazement, they cause us to wonder just, gosh, how did they even come about? They cause us to think about those that came before us to create such incredible beauty. They cause us to question their significance and the meaning that they held back then.

And they still hold today. even in photos of view of each of them is impossible to describe. But what is a view? That's just another word for perspective. Isn't it? So what's perspective.  defined it's a way to draw or look at a two dimensional surface. So as to give the right impression of its height with depth and position in relation to another object.

That's the dictionary definition, number two to a particular attitude toward, or way of regarding, I think something, a point of view and definition, number three, the way you see something. So putting ourselves in places or situations that help us do that is necessary seeing the world or seeing people from different perspectives or points of view is not as easy as we may think, experiencing things different ways.

Is not as easy as we may think. It's why there's so much dissension, right? It's why people argue for countless hours on social media. It's why groups of people, or even companies seem divided. It's why people needlessly hurt others by what they say or what they do or what they write. It's a difference of perspective.

We need to redefine how we look at the world. We need to redefine how we look at our businesses. We need to redefine how we look at our relationships. We need to redefine how we look at ourselves. See the ocean does that for me, the ocean is consistent. The ocean is powerful. The ocean is infinite and next to it, I'm pretty darn small next to it.

We're all small right feeling of being small, as healthy for us. The experience of being small. Forces humility. It begs us to adjust our perspective about what we can control, what we can't control. it gives us some real perspective [00:05:00] of just how important we are. It provides us a glimpse at that both purpose and meaning by causing reflection on the past and meditation on the future.

Perspective forces us to realize that seemingly Oceanwide challenges we face are well just shallow streams to cross. It forces us to realize that the seemingly mountain high problems we have are well, it's just a Hill to climb. The ocean has always amazed me a recent studies reveal that the ocean, It is about 352 quintillion gallons of water.

what is that? Even a number 352 quintillion of anything.  smarter people than me say it is a number, talk about perspective without water. We couldn't exist. It's the basis of all life itself. About 60% of our body is water, our brain and our heart. We're about 73% water. Our lungs are about 83% water.

Our skin is about 64% water. Our muscles about 79% water. Even our bones is there. About 31% water guys. Water is both the greatest source of good. And at times one of the most destructive forces in the world. It's why water has always amazed me again, perspective water can both give life. And take life away,  being small and something large is all about perspective, being powerless, alongside something.

So powerful is all about perspective. Realizing how little we control in the big picture also allows us to gain real focus and clarity on the few things that we do control. And that's where I want to focus on that's where. That's what we want to experience the control that we do have at our disposal.

It allows us to zoom out, feel small, look at the big picture, then zoom in, focus on what matters and define our perspective in the process. Now more than ever, as many of us are at this moment in time, stuck in maybe 10 by 10 rooms for most of the day as we're quarantining or, is really staying in place.

It's important to get in front of something bigger. Take a walk in the woods, find a place to stare at the mountain or a Valley. Sit in front of the ocean or along a bank of a river this week just to get outside. And ensure you might be listening to this podcast years after COVID-19 and the Cory team took place.

I hope you are in fact, but it doesn't matter this week, just get outside. Okay. I look at something bigger than yourself, perhaps you'll see that problem just isn't that important? That challenge just isn't really that complicated. That argument really isn't worth it. That ego just isn't really becoming.

Humans love views, because that view has the power to help us define our perspective. It has the power to help us experience things differently. I challenge all of us because we can all use some perspective right about now.