Perspective PowerTM: The Ultimate Secret To Extraordinary Success!
By Steve Bedwell, MD
Ever heard this? If you want to be successful, find something you're good at and work hard.
Rubbish! We all know talented, hardworking people who, by their own admission, haven't fulfilled anywhere near their true potential. In truth, talent is commonplace. We're all pretty good at what we do; otherwise we'd be doing something else. And hard work is just the ticket that puts us in the game.
What's a talented, hardworking failure to do?
- Lose confidence: Sadly – instead of questioning The Success Myth – many highly-talented people start to question their ability and simply give up on their goals.
- Work even harder: Begin spending weekends at the office, pulling 'all-nighters' and skipping vacations – until their relationships shrivel and life becomes a depressing drudge.
Clearly, both options are a sure-fire recipe for rampant stress, unhappiness and failure. While passively accepting The Success Myth, most people overlook the vital ingredient that they need to leverage their talent and hard work into outrageous achievement. The key to unlocking your extraordinary potential is Perspective PowerTM.
Perspective PowerTM
Most people have a vague appreciation of the inherent value in seeing things from different points of view, but very few recognize the absolute power that perspective exerts over their thoughts, feelings and actions...
After boarding the plane, I sat down and said "Hello" to a man sitting in the adjacent seat. He completely ignored me. I repeated my greeting. His 'reply' was to lift his newspaper between us to prevent further conversation – This guy was the rudest person I had ever met! – Let's take a snap-shot of my mental state at that moment: What was I thinking? The jerk! How was I feeling? Irritated. How was I acting? Frosty.
Your perspective dictates every thought, feeling and action. There is no other way that you can respond to a situation other than to think about it, feel towards it or act on it. And these three responses – encompassing the entire human experience – are an expression of your point of view.
A few minutes later, my seat companion showed me a card on which he had written a request: 'Would you mind calling this number and telling my wife that I am safely on the plane and on the way home? Thank you.' He needed my assistance because he was deaf. He was not being rude, he couldn't hear me! This revelation flipped my perspective on the situation and – in turn – changed my response in a heartbeat. I immediately began thinking about other ways in which I could assist this gentleman, my irritation melted away and I smiled from ear to ear.
Changing your perspective, immediately changes how you think, feel and act. It follows from this principle that learning how to actively change your outlook on any situation, at any time – flex your Perspective PowerTM – will turbo-charge your thinking, enable you to master your emotions and take action. In turn, this will transform the direction and quality of your entire life.
When People Flex Their Perspective PowerTM
It's Amazing What They Achieve.
A few years ago a fitness instructor – Gin Miller – began rehabilitating an injured knee using a step at the back of her house. While exercising, Miller flexed her Perspective PowerTM and realized that a step could be used for aerobic training – an idea that she subsequently sold to Reebok.
Clearly, Miller did not invent the step. I suspect that, during the very first demonstration of the wheel, the Mesopotamians at the back of the crowd who couldn’t see – stood on a step. In fact, I would love to have been on the Reebok-Idea Development Committee when she suggested it:
Miller: "It's so versatile. Before very long you'll be seeing steps everywhere."
Reebok R & D Executive: "No kidding!"
Neither did Miller create all the moves used with The Reebok Step, most of which are taken from dance styles like the Mambo. However, she was the first one to see the step from a novel point of view – and that’s what counted. Miller's fresh perspective gained her international recognition as a fitness expert, made Reebok millions of dollars and re-energized health clubs across the country.
Practice Flexing Your Perspective PowerTM
Identify a recent interaction with another individual where your perspective lead to unhelpful thoughts, feelings or actions. For example, in the airplane story, my initial perspective led me to label a complete stranger 'a jerk', raised my stress levels and closed my mind to the possibility of being of service to another person.
Possibly you've had a recent argument with your spouse, got frustrated with a shop assistant or have an issue with a colleague that's affecting your work. Once you've picked a specific incident – rather than simply revisiting it in your head – imagine you're watching it play out on a television screen.
For the purposes of this exercise, anything you would actually be able to see or hear on your imaginary TV screen you may consider to be an objective fact. Every other aspect of your experience is subjective and open to reinterpretation. For example, in the airplane story, the fellow not responding to my voice was an objective fact. However, my perspective that he was being intentionally rude – totally subjective.
Even though your recollection will still be skewed towards your point of view, this simple TV strategy will enable you to disengage from the situation and adopt a more objective bystander perspective. What elements of your incident are open to reinterpretation? What 'facts' do you now recognize as a product of your perspective rather than objective reality? What other points of view would fit objective reality? Which of these perspectives would lead to the most useful thoughts, feelings and actions?
This is just one of the many Perspective PowerTM strategies that – by changing your point of view – enable you to take control of how you think, feel and act. Flexing your Perspective PowerTM will reveal overlooked solutions to your problems and opportunities for greater prosperity. It will also unearth important insights for decision making and innovation. When you are angry or anxious, flexing your Perspective PowerTM dilutes these toxic emotions and prevents them hindering your effectiveness. It can also motivate you to act in accordance with your highest priorities – perhaps ask for that raise, take a class, exercise more or avoid those impulsive responses that lead to embarrassment.
Bottom line: Whenever you are stumped, overwhelmed, anxious, misunderstood, immobilized, frustrated, stressed or simply fighting the urge to lash out – flex your Perspective PowerTM. It's the one thing that always makes a difference.
Dr. Steve Bedwell is a national keynote speaker. Whatever your industry's hot issues, Steve's original, science-based strategies will enable your people to step back, look at their challenges differently and take effective action. http://stevebedwell.com
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