Get a positive outlook on life (EN)

We all go through difficult situations, but there are those who take them with more courage. They have a very broad and positive outlook.

There is an old example, to explain in more detail what perspective is, let's see, if you were faced with a glass, which contains half water, how would you describe it? Is the glass half full or half empty? It is said that a pessimist would say that it is half empty, while an optimist would choose to describe it as half full.

The perspective that is equivalent to what we commonly call point of view, attitude to life or approach is extremely important to all human beings. Philosophies place great emphasis on how perspective affects our lives. For example, imagine that you are viewing a specific scene through a professional camera, which is equipped with a zoom or amplifier, it is certain that you will observe numerous details with this professional camera that, using one of a few megapixel cell phones, would have gone unnoticed.

On the contrary, many people are only concerned with seeing the big picture, without paying great attention to those important details. That is why I affirm that the personal perspective contributes enormously to improving our ability to enjoy life and face adversity, or instead, it limits and traps us in our own problems.

A situation that occurs frequently, thus causing a feeling of frustration, is one in which we are forced to face a dilemma "if it is not this, it will be that, in other words, whatever our decision, it will lead to an unfavorable result. .

A woman may think, "Should I stay with my husband and be unhappy, or should I go and feel lonely (and be unhappy anyway)? From her limited point of view or perspective, she sees that there are only two alternatives, two Ways out for this serious problem, but if it were possible for her to broaden her focus, she would realize that there are many more solutions.

Another aspect is related to our sense of time. It is very easy to lose focus when we do not appreciate what we have at this precise moment or, on the contrary, we believe that what we already have will last a lifetime For example, sometimes we just enjoy a few short hours at the beach, because we are constantly thinking about the housework that awaits us when we get home. On the other hand, we may fully enjoy a relationship thinking it is permanent, only to find out later that it was temporary.

Our sense of time is the one we should least trust: while we enjoy a situation, the hours pass quickly; more, when we are bored, it seems to us that a few minutes are an eternity. Also, having too many tensions and worries, time passes slowly, we are filled with the feeling that problems are truly eternal.

There are a number of exercises that can be applied "to develop our perspective"

Here are some specific exercises with which we can develop a broader and more positive perspective:

• 1. Humor is the most effective way to develop an open attitude, it also contributes greatly to the maintenance of our mental health. Sometimes, when a person becomes too involved in the melodrama of his own life, it is customary to say: "Always remember what was said when describing the situation that prevailed in the Balkan countries before the start of the First World War. situation is hopeless, but it would not be. Can you find the comic or humorous side to your situation? Can you imagine what life would be like if your problem served as the inspiration for a soap opera?

• 2. If the base of all these complications is an activity in which you would like to be involved, give free rein to your fantasy and imagine that you are actually carrying it out. This will result in an emotional experience that is very similar to the real event. For example, if you want to learn to roller skate, imagine that you are putting on the skates, that you are standing up and then freely skating your muscles will respond to your fantasy and prepare to carry out the movements appropriate coordination for this occasion.

• 3. If you happen to fear a particular activity, then imagine yourself doing it, but if you continue to feel the same fear, imagine that you are closely observing another person, who, in turn, you are watching a third individual perform what you fear. In other words, separate yourself from that activity completely until you feel comfortable. Once you have achieved this, then it will be possible for you to visualize yourself doing what you fear, without feeling any anxiety.

  Logically, the next step will not be to carry out this dreaded activity. Are you afraid of heights, for example? The technique to eliminate this fear will be the following: separate yourself from the problem, imagining how someone else, say, would climb a mountain: pretend you are watching a movie. Once you feel comfortable watching this film, you can replace the supposed actor by yourself, in order to enjoy the activity as if you were there.

• 4. You can also develop your perspective by getting the idea that 6 months to 10 years have passed, if that suits you. Analyze it from this point of view: you have just received some very bad news and you feel very depressed, imagine then that 6 months have passed, what are you doing now? How does it feel Remember that nothing is forever, both the unpleasant things and the things we enjoy.

• 5. If you find yourself struggling with a problem, do a little test with the following one of your pillows and place it as you please, as if she were your problem. So, without thinking twice, change your relationship to the pillow and imagine that it is the same problem, only that you are looking at it from a different angle. Now you are looking at it from a point of view a new point of view (a perspective).

Then, without thinking, transform this relationship again, Observing it according to a third criterion. By the end of the experiment, you will have analyzed your problem using three different approaches, which will help you deal with it more directly.

• 6. The last of the exercises is designed to help you get over an unpleasant situation. This breaks the connection that is created between the memory of the experience and the feelings that accompany it. This requires great mental concentration. Here's what to do: Sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Get the idea that you are in a movie theater, staring at the screen. In a few minutes, you have to witness the scenes of that unpleasant situation that you have already been through. Now imagine that you are sitting in one of the boxes and carefully observing another spectator (who happens to be yourself).

  The film then begins to play on the screen, and you again witness those scenes that bother you so much. When finished, roll the film a second time, only at a higher speed than before. The third time you show it, the film will be in black and white, if you saw it in color the first two times or vice versa. At the end of this, imagine that you have been passed to slides; watch it again. Finally, change the order of the slides. Enough is enough At this point, you may feel less uncomfortable and distressed.

If that discomfort has not yet disappeared, then ask yourself what kind of musical background should accompany the film, as well as the fragrances and other sounds. At the end, reroll the film with all these details included.

What is achieved with all this? very much! Of these exercises, the result that should interest you most is that you have developed the ability to see things from different points of view.

In addition, by achieving this, we will have at our disposal a varied number of possibilities or solutions, from which we can select the one that suits us best. In this way, we will no longer feel trapped or limited by our problems. And there is even more. The moment we find ourselves fully enjoying a situation, be it routine or unexpected, a sudden change in perspective (or focus) will result in a new, highly exciting and enjoyable feeling. Check it out!