By: Roberta Victery
Every person who walks this Earth has his or her own perspective. Perspective is one’s point of view. Many believe that it is not humanly possible, to alter their perspective. It is very well possible for one to alter one’s perspective. It is all in the hands of the one who would like to have a better outlook on their daily life, to make that change. Making the changes to positively alter a perspective is not easy, by any means. Change, in general, is not something that majority of us humans like to do, in the first place. Positive influence within the daily life can alter a negative perspective by having a conclusive influential surroundings, healthy lifestyles choices, and implementing actions for personal gratitude.
Point of view is collected and justified throughout our entire lives. The moment we start trying to map out what is going on around us, we start collecting and justifying the right from wrong, why we feel as if our choices were correct, and so forth. Perspective begins to be formed even before a toddler begins talking. The environmental factors of our unique lives, contribute a massive amount to our point of view. If one is surrounded by depressed, anxiety filled acquaintances; one will begin to start feeling depression. The same goes for the opposite scenario with positivity.
Constantly feeling as if there is nothing more one can do to get to where they would like to be, is a reason on why one could have a negative perspective. Continuously feeling as if we cannot reach a goal that has been set can affect our perspective. The goal could be a personal, physical, or mental goal; Krapohl explains “in reality, much of what students are able to achieve is related to a variety of factors that are inherited to some degree, including intelligence, personality characteristics, are beliefs about one’s ability to be effective and reach goals (Krapohl et al., 2014)” (qtd. in Licht 396). The belief that we can do anything we set our minds to is the best motto!
Majority of society does not realize how different we humans vary in numerous, unique ways. The background of ancestral pasts is something that has not become as important to the guardians to share with children. Possibilities of the guardians also not having an understanding of the background to pass down, plays a large role in why our younger generations do not understand where they came from. Research of evolutionary studies by Tybur, shows that “a deeper understanding of the ancestral roots of modem behavior can provide a fresh perspective for policy makers and public administrators while also providing fertile ground for novel research and applications for altering behavior. The central takeaway is that optimal strategies for changing problematic behaviors require harnessing our deep-seated ancestral nature rather than ignoring it or working against it” (Tybur and Griskevicius). This also entails that one who has a negative perspective may act out badly at times. The behavior to that said person, may not view it as a bad behavior though, because of their negative perspective.
Technology is one aspect of our world’s evolution, which has such a negative persona. As research shows, “Our digital economy has further widened the connectivity divide between 1970s elders and aging baby boomers. In 2015, 58 percent of people ages 65 and older used the Internet, compared with 14 percent in 2000 (Perrin and Duggan, 2015) and those numbers are trending upward” (Golant). Technology, weather, science: are all elements in life that are out of our hands. If something is out of our hands, it also measures the possibility that technology’s evolution is uncontrollable. So, allowing the uncontrollable elements throughout life, persuade the positive perspective within us, into a negative perspective; also enables the way we adapt.
To apprehend one’s perspective, one has to seclude specific personal thoughts from time
to time. When attempting to fathom one’s point of view on a situation, too many of us allow our own perspective to block our sympathy towards the one who is suffering and confiding in us. Normally, people do not think of why one is expressing the emotions that the said one is verbalizing, ”to walk in another person’s shoes, one has to put one’s own needs aside, and truly understand where that person has been and where he or she is going. By figuratively trying on that person’s shoes, one enters into a different perspective and a different life experience” when undertaking another’s concerns in any matter, trying not to compare to why one has the reasons for understanding. (Hoover 4) Comparing one’s life experience to our own may result in creation of conflict
Lifestyle choices contribute a substantial magnitude to one’s perspective. Healthy appraisals indicated onto one’s daily life can strongly reinforce a more positive perspective. As explained in Chapter Twelve of the Introduction to Health Care, “The purpose of attaining good health is more than hoping to prevent disease and extend the length of life [there are many more benefits to a healthy lifestyle, than just avoiding sickness and disease]. It includes improving the quality of living throughout the entire lifespan. It means waking up refreshed with the energy and well-being necessary to enjoy each day” (Mitchell et al. 286). Personally, waking up and feeling dissatisfied or unmotivated; does not implicate a good start to any day. This may mean there is a great chance that the whole day for me then will not be a very good day.
Introducing healthier life changes into the daily life is an intimidating but wonderful start to the changes of a life perspective. One way we can do this is surrounding ourselves with others who have a positive perspective. For instance, I can remember being in the worst mood I thought that I was ever going to experience in my entire life! I just had experienced the loss of a dear relative to me, my Aunt Rhonda and my godmother. My aunt had been diagnosed with incurable cancer, small stem cell. When she was diagnosed with this rare, traumatic, unexplainable cancer; Rhonda was given thirty days. After her remarkable one hundred and eighty day torturous fight, she had finally laid to rest in peace. When her passing, unfortunately, was shared with me, I went straight into denial. When the ones around me realized that I was not dealing with the passing of my aunt in the best way, those said caring people, surrounded me with love, happiness, comfort, distraction, and acceptance. By my loved ones getting me out of the funk I was experiencing, helped me choose to continue surrounding myself with that type of outlook.
When one surrounds themselves with joy, enthusiasm, care, comfort and other related emotions; that said person will being to absorb the positive energy vibes around them. Vibes are related to the ambiance, which is coming from the ones around them. Us as humans feed off of and onto the other humans around us. For example, yawning is discussed as contagious.
Laughter is a release by one who finds the need to express emotion, given the circumstances:
Laughter is part of a universal language of basic emotions that all humans
recognize. Health care providers and educators may utilize the power of laughter to improve health and enhance teaching and learning. This is an important
consideration because teaching is not just about content: it is also about forming relationships and strengthening human connections. In this context, when used effectively, humor is documented to build relationships and enhance performance. Specifically, humor improves student performance by attracting and sustaining
attention, reducing anxiety, enhancing participation, and increasing motivation. Moreover, humor stimulates multiple physiological systems that decrease levels of stress hormones, such as cortisol and epinephrine, and increase the activation of the mesolimbic dopaminergic reward system. (Savage 341-347)
It is very well possible to laugh even if in a bad mood, when surrounded by people who are laughing.
The only way someone can change their personal thought process or daily routine, is for that said person to make the personal mental decision to change the aspects they may not be happy with. There are opportunities out in the world that will accommodate to happiness. Many times the work seems like it is too tedious, so many decide not to partake in those events. In all reality anything will seem too tedious to follow through with, if one does not have motivation within themselves. We humans are extremely habituated creatures. Research by psychologists found that, “engaging in physical exercise, showing kindness, and getting involved in activities that benefit others are all linked in increased positive emotions” (Licht 410). If one chooses to motivate themselves for positive changes. The enforcer behind their motivation, will be the
overwhelming emotion of accomplishment.
Happiness is protrude to be something many times which has to be bought or effortless. There are times when the steps, to get to where one is trying to journey towards seems
impossible. If some would see that not everything has to result in an award, then more would experience more gratitude in their actions. It is possible for one to increase positivity if we choose to make the choice to want to have a better perspective. The same psychologists who linked benefiting others to happiness also collected reasoning that,” … simple intentional changes in one’s thoughts and behavior can precipitate meaningful increases in happiness” (Licht 410). The choices to start working on positively changing a perspective, all truly begins with the mindset of that said person.
Positively changing a perspective has nothing to do with the gender of the one who
would like to begin changing a negative perspective into a positive perspective. Many may say “men are stuck on stupid” or “women are emotional roller coasters.” Both of those statements are potentially bias and inaccurate. Gender has absolutely nothing to do with the way one mentally makes choices, chooses what a goal could be, or even how to react to a situation. Regardless of the myths, stereotypes, and experiences “men and woman are more similar than different when it comes to experiencing and expressing emotion” (Licht 413). No matter our gender, background, or any choices already made in the past; we choose our perspective.
Perspective is collected throughout our whole lives. It is never too late for one to change their outlook, if they feel as if it is necessary. Even if others feel as if one’s perspective needs tweaking, however that said person does not truly mean that that person feels the same way. If ever found running into a predicament like that, then maybe outsourcing the ones with the negative perspectives is the best way to solve that predicament. It is very well possible for one to change their negative perspective into a positive perspective. Choosing to change a personal perspective starts within the one who wants the changes to take place. Changes within a person’s outlook starts with the motivation of the one wanting to experience a more positive perspective. One’s negative perspective can be altered by a healthy lifestyle choices, positive surrounding of
people and places, and doing good things for nothing in exchange.
Do you want to be a negative Nancy, or a positive Patty? The change beings with YOU!
Golant, Stephen M. “Self-Reliant Older Baby Boomers Are Now Better Connected to Goods, Services, and Care.” Generations, vol. 41, no. 2, Summer2017, pp. 79-87. EBSCOhost, gary.libproxy.ivytech.edu/login?
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Hoover, Dianne. “Change Your Shoes, Change Your Perspective.” Parks & Recreation, vol. 46, no. 4, Apr. 2011, p. 4. EBSCOhost, gary.libproxy.ivytech.edu/login? url=http://search.ebscohost.eom.gary.libproxy.ivytech.edu/login.aspx? direct=true&db=crh&AN=60369361 &site=eds-live.
Licht, Deborah M., et al. Psychology. Second ed., One New York Plaza, Worth Publishers,
Mitchell, Dakota, and Lee Haroun. Introduction to Health Care. Fourth ed., Cengage Learning, 2015.
Savage, Brandon M., et al. “Humor, Laughter, Learning, and Health! A Brief Review.” Advances in Physiology Education, vol. 41, no. 3, Sept. 2017, pp. 341-347. EBSCOhost,
Tybur, Joshua M. and Vladas Griskevicius. “Evolutionary Psychology: A Fresh Perspective for Understanding and Changing Problematic Behavior.” Public Administration Review, no. 1, 2013, p. 12. EBSCOhost, gary.libproxy.ivytech.edu/login? url=http://search.ebscohostcom/login.aspx?