What's your perspective?

This quote from Muhammad Ali says quite a lot. He points out the need to change our perspective to be outside of ourselves. It is human nature to see the world with ourselves as the center of everything, but is that really the case? How can we change our perspective?

Is there a particular challenge in your life that you have only seen from your perspective? Can you pick another point of view? How does that change the situation or your reaction to the situation?

What do you water?

I came across this quote by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh while reading a fantastic article in The Medium by Jack Kornfield (check out the article HERE).

It got me thinking about the fact that we all have tendencies toward love and peace as well as anger and hate. We have the power to decide what we want to water and feed and ultimately who we want to become in life. It reminded me of a turning point in my life as an undergraduate college student. I was working just about full time to pay for school, taking a full course-load as a major in Psychology with a Minor in Law, and studying to take the LSAT and GRE tests to apply to graduate schools. I was hoping to do a dual MSW/JD degree. As you can imagine, it got to be too much to do it all and I had a decision to make.  I loved the law and had dreamed of being a lawyer since I was a little girl, but then fell in love with psychology classes after taking AP Psych in HS. Trying to study for both exams and take a dual path was overwhelming and my perfectionism was taking a toll on my mental health. I had to make a decision about moving forward in one direction, not both. After thinking about what career I wanted for the rest of my life, I began to contemplate WHO I wanted to be. It is in my nature to be driven, competitive, and a bit headstrong. I knew that would serve me well if I went to law school. On the other hand, I always had a lot of empathy for others and could be nurturing and supportive at times. Social work school could help to increase my emotional intelligence and gain insight into my own anxiety while fostering the caregiving parts of myself. So by asking myself who I wanted to become instead of just what I wanted to be, the answer was clear. At that time I chose to water the seeds of love, peace and respect for myself by going to graduate school for social work. 

What about you? 

You suffer because things are impermanent and you think they are permanent - Thich Nhat Hanh

Fall is such a wonderful time of the year! I love to see the leaves fall and the colors change. I love the back to school and new beginnings. This quote by Thich Nhat Hanh is a wonderful reminder that nothing is as permanent as we believe it is... As our grandmothers' would say, "this too shall pass".
How much of what you stress over today will matter in a week, in a month, a year or five years? Next time you find yourself suffering, ask yourself that question. Happy fall!

This is a busy time of the year, kids back in school and summer vacations ending. Are yu making the time for yourself? Do you treat yourself with the same love and affection you give others?
If not, this is a reminder that you deserve love, compassion and affection!
What ways do you take care of your physical, emotional, and mental health?