Changing Perspective

Perspective is a funny thing.

Your perspective is largely influenced by your value system.

But your values are largely based on your perspective.

Chicken or the egg situation here, eh?

The ability to recognize that different perspectives exist is incredibly important.

But beyond that, the ability to recognize that different perspectives are VALUABLE is crucial, and seemingly more so now than ever before.

I am in a unique position these days: I am getting to hear a lot of different perspectives. Most people are at home and hearing the same ideas over and over again - whether through their chosen echo chamber of social media or their chosen echo chamber of news sources or chosen echo chamber of close friends and family.

My practice has remained open, meaning I have seen lots of people since March. And I get to hear their perspectives. I've even heard some of their perspectives change. I want to share a few perspectives with you because maybe it might bring a bit more awareness into your echo chamber.

The woman whose husband is undergoing chemotherapy, and is flabbergasted that people aren't taking the simple step of wearing masks when in public.

The woman who was assaulted during her birth by a doctor wearing a mask who has suffered unrelenting panic attacks since masks became mandated as she now sees multiple people who resemble her assailant in the grocery store.

The woman who struggles with anxiety who has a hard time leaving the house due to crippling fear and was met with an eye roll and someone calling her a "sheep" when she put her mask on to walk into the post office.

The woman who was kidnapped and sexually assaulted by two masked men when she was a teenager who is now suffering insomnia despite years of therapy.

The woman with severe asthma who can't breathe under a mask and has passed out twice at work because of it.

The woman with severe asthma who wears a mask always because she's afraid she might not be able to handle contracting c-19.

The woman whose yoga studio was her family's primary income and employs a single mother full-time and has 6 other employees who was shamed on social media for sharing that she needed to reopen her studio.

Maybe one of these is your perspective. Maybe none of them are. But regardless of if it's YOUR perspective, these are real experiences of others, who have a different perspective than you.

Are they more or less valid than your own?

Are all perspectives equal and equally important?

As usual, I have no answers, only questions.

Maybe the next time you disagree with someone's ideas/stance/outfit, you ask them about their perspective rather than cutting them off or chalking it up to them not knowing yours (which is obviously the better perspective, right?).

Hugs.

Lindsay