Perspective Creates Joy

Perspective Creates Joy

A Sixty-Word SZEN Story*:

The joy was fading. She was working long hours every day and Bill was charged with taking care of the house. This meant cooking the meals too. Every night he served her dinner and cleaned up while she took her bath. He began to resent his role. How did we get to this place, how can this change, he wondered.

And more…

Sometimes we find ourselves stuck in a role or a place or in a time that feels like we’ll never escape or be able to change the situation. According to the Book of Joy co-authored by the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu there are eight pillars of joy. The very first one is perspective. The book says: “A healthy perspective really is the foundation for joy and happiness because the way we see the world is the way we experience the world.” Thus, changing the way we see things, in turn changes the way we feel and the way we act which changes the world itself.

In our story, Bill is locked into a routine where he feels stifled and out of sorts. Joy is elusive and Bill wonders how it can change. According to the book, the answer is that “we cannot succeed by denying what exists. The acceptance of reality is the only place from which change can begin.” In other words, acceptance is an important component of perspective and allows us to relax and to see more clearly before we respond. And since reality only exists in the present, our ability to stay in the moment becomes our superpower. This enables us to acknowledge the situation we’re in while we look for the insight that changes how we view the situation.

Our minds are powerful, and our perspective directly impacts the joy we feel in life. Perspective helps us understand what is and our role in that reality. It also can change how we choose to view it. And that’s where joy can find its way into our life.

* Always 60 words. No more, no less.

Szenippet: The difference between an empty room and a room full of space is based on how we see our world, our perspective.