Perspective

Perspective

Perspective.  According to the old Oxford American dictionary that I have sitting on my shelf (the fact that it is an actual dictionary and not just a website should say something about how old it is), the second definition of the word perspective is: “the apparent relationship between visible objects as to position, distance, etc.”  There are a few words here that I find interesting, particularly the word apparent. 

Now I know that you are saying to yourself (especially if you too took the time to look up the word perspective) that this is referring to the angle or direction that you are viewing something (especially since the first definition talks about perspective style of art).  And if you were to keep reading in my dictionary you would find that the fourth definition is “a mental picture of the relative importance of things.”  While this is an accurate definition of the word perspective in the context in which I am speaking (as in perspective on life, whether in general or on a specific aspect of life), I would like to return to the first definition that I gave.  Perspective is “the apparent relationship between visible objects.”

Apparent.  Perspective is the apparent relationship between things.  Now turning to the word apparent I find two somewhat contradicting definitions:  “clearly seen or understood” vs. “seeming but not real.”  So perspective may or may not be real.  It may be clear, or it may not be real (or both).

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on the importance of perspective in life.  In the most simplistic example, I was very concerned about my physics final.  Then I starting looking into and discovered that the grade that I needed on the final was lower than the grade that I had gotten on any of the previous test.  All of the sudden, I wasn’t nearly so worried about my physics final.  I saw the bigger picture and I wasn’t nearly so worried.  And at that, it wasn’t the biggest picture, it was just a bigger picture.

Its amazing how it changes things when we change our perspective.  It seems that every time that I stress out about something, that all my stress goes away with just a simple change of perspective.  I say simple, but changing your perspective can be extremely difficult.

I was on a date recently, and my date commented that in a few years we are going to look back at this time of our life and all of the stress that we have over dating and laugh and realize that it really wasn’t worth all of the stress.  And she’s right.  When I can maintain the perspective that God is in control and that if I do my best then everything will work out,  then my life is much less stressful and I feel much hopeful about my life.  Applying it specifically to dating (since that specifically talking about the stress involved in the whole dating game at BYU), when I maintain that perspective then I feel much more confident in my dating life; and interestingly enough, things tend to work out better for me too.

The power of perspective – it’s the power to change your life.  So keep things in perspective and know that everything will work out.

Service

Service

It is interesting to me, that the best cure to a broken heart, to sadness, is to forget one’s self in the service of others.  Yet, this is the exact opposite of the natural reaction.  Our natural reaction when we feel hurt or down is to focus on our own problems.  It becomes a self-perpetuating cycle because, as we focus more on our own problems, we fall deeper into despair and self-pity, which in turn leads to being even more wrapped up in our own problems.

Many times, we just want someone to put their arm around us and sincerely as us how we are doing.  We just want someone to succor us in our need.

Sometimes, people belittle our problems saying things like, “your problems aren’t that bad, there are other people that are have problems that are much worse than yours.”  I don’t think that people are usually trying to hurt us or make us feel even worse, though I think that is usually the result.  What we are looking for is the exact opposite of what they are doing for us.  They often don’t realize that they could make such a difference by just taking a moment to sincerely care about us, rather than to brush our problems aside.  And at some point in time, I daresay that all of us have been on both sides of the situation – we have all wished for someone to care about us and have also been the one missing the opportunity to care about someone else.

The irony of the situation is that the best way for us to receive the help that we so desperately desire, is to take the time to give that help to someone else.  President Hinckley once said that the best sure for a broken heart is to lose yourself in the service of others.  He was right.

I can think back on times of great difficulty in my life, and I realize that when I forgot about my problems and went to the aid of others, that my wounds were also healed.  As you are the Lord’s hands to help and lift others, He also helps and lifts you.  When you are on the Lord’s errand, He is on yours.

So when you are down, look for the opportunity to help others.  Take the time to ask the Lord to help lose yourself in the service of others.  Before long, you will discover that you are happy.  It doesn’t mean that your problems are gone.  They usually aren’t.  But you will have the strength of the Lord to overcome, and you will have His joy in your heart because you will  know that you are helping in a greater cause.