3 steps to change our perspective

By Brian Maynor

 

“Everything you see or hear or experience in a way at all is specific to you.  You create a universe by perceiving it, so everything in the universe you perceive is specific to you.”  – Douglas Adams

Life is a series of stories, and most of us get so caught up in living them that we forget we’re the authors.  We let others influence and at times write out stories for us.  Think about our lives right now.  Are they what we have written for ourselves, or did we let our friends, family, media, etc. influence and write them for us?

When others write our life’s stories, our lives tend to feel off-track and unfulfilled, and that’s because they aren’t our lives at all.  Instead we are living the lives others think we should live instead of the life we want to live.

Luckily, since we are the authors of our lives, we can take control of our stories any time we choose, we just have to decide to do it.  Sometimes the best way to do that is by changing our perspective.

Here are three steps to help us change perspective and ultimately our lives:

1.   Remember everything is a flow.  Life may consist of moments, but those moments never stop.  So often we get fixated on a single point in time that we forget life hasn’t stopped.  We’re just stuck.  This can be stuck on a positive time that we need to let go of, or a low point that we just can’t seem to get over.  Instead of viewing life as a series of photographs, we need to look at life like a video.  It’s still a series of photographs; they just never stop changing.

2.    Focus on inputs instead of outputs.  We live in a result oriented society, which means we define others and ourselves by what has already happened.  What most of us forget is that these outcomes don’t just happen.  Instead of focusing on the result, we are much better off focusing on everything that went into them.  The work, or input, is way more valuable because we can change it.  It’s impossible to change something that’s already happened.  Outputs are still important, because we can use them as indicators for where we should place our energy, focus and effort.

3.    Break things down.  More often than we convenience ourselves, or worse believe when others tell us, we can’t do something, achieve something, or become something because it is beyond our reach.  That may be the case if we only had one shot or one opportunity to make it happen, but we don’t.  Life has become increasingly impatient, and if something can’t be achieved in one step it is deemed out of reach.  Unfortunately we’ve forgotten that anything is possible because everything can be broken down into achievable steps.  It just takes time.  In an immediate gratification society, investing time may be passé, but time builds momentum and momentum creates breakthroughs.

Living from a first-person perspective is natural, but sometimes we lose our voice in the process.  If we want to create the life of our dreams, we need to change our perspective and stop letting others write our story.

 

 

 

I’m always excited to hear from you, so please email your questions, quandaries and conundrums to [email protected].

 

About Brian Maynor

Brian Maynor has built a reputation as one of the leading style coaches in the Southeast and is quickly expanding his eponymous company, BRIAN MAYNOR and his FIND, FLATTER & FLAUNT line of image consulting services. A professional with a fresh, upbeat and down-to-earth personality and boundless creative energy, he works frequently with with local celebrities; Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations; modeling agencies; fashion designers; production companies; record labels; media and individuals. A regular contributor to various fashion blogs and online communities, Brian Maynor is one of the most trusted and recognized style experts in the region, utilizing his education and training as a broadcast journalist to serve as a style lecturer, emcee, and commentator for over a decade. He has appeared at fashion shows, expos, and charity fundraisers, as well as events with big brands like Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Chico’s and Macy’s. His approach is innovative, creative and fashion-forward, balancing fresh, modern styles with classic pieces to keep one’s look grounded. To learn more, visit http://www.brianmaynor.com.

 

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