One Trick For Changing Perspective

Changing your perspective can feel like an insurmountable challenge.

That’s why there are multiple industries based upon the fact that it is incredibly hard to change the way you look at the world. But even so, people have endeavored to change their perspectives for as long as there have been people and perspectives. And so can you, with just one little trick.

Incorporating Ritual Into Your Life

Changing perspective might require ritual. The word ritual might conjure up complex imagery involving magical powers, bubbling cauldrons, or sacrificial ceremonies, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. When we use the word ritual throughout this article, we’re referring to the act of creating and maintaining a meaningful routine that feels fulfilling and purposeful. But finding meaning is easier said than done, and it can be intimidating to pick up the pieces and put together something new. This is not a new struggle, we have been evolving to seek meaning in one way or another for millions of years and countless generations. Human beings (your ancestors, no less) developed a number of traditions in the past several millennia to help themselves cope with the search for meaning. 

“When tea becomes ritual, it takes its place at the heart of our ability to see greatness in small things. Where is beauty to be found? In great things that, like everything else, are doomed to die, or in small things that aspire to nothing, yet know how to set a jewel of infinity in a single moment?” – Muriel Barbery, The Elegance of the Hedgehog.

Take Up A Practice Like Martial Arts

Changing perspective can be done through physical activity. Practices like martial arts have been helping people stay in touch with their minds and bodies for hundreds of years. Committing yourself to get better through practice can be a powerful goal, and an important motivator to stay true to your routine. There’s a reason that our collective image of a martial arts teacher is a wise old master. The practice of yoga, martial arts, or even music can all bring powerful meaning into your life if you incorporate them into your routine. 

Reconnect With Your Mindfulness

Make time to participate in the present moment. Part of the reason people find so much success with martial arts and yoga is because those practices are exercises in coming to awareness of our own bodies. But the relief of mindfulness is something you can access with no physical barriers to entry. While modern life is filled with countless distractions, we can still make time to breathe deeply, touch the grass, and notice the world around us. You can reconnect with your mindfulness through people watching, guided meditations, or taking a stroll without your earbuds in. 

Invite Sacredness Into Your Life

Much like the word ritual, the word sacred can conjure some extremely specific imagery. You might be picturing rulebooks, churches, or funerals, and while all three of those things can be sacred, truly the only deciding factor for sacredness is how much reverence and respect it is given. Set a time to sit with yourself. It can be as frequently or as seldom as your schedule mandates, just as long as it’s taken seriously and regularly happens. You can use this time to talk with your higher power, think about your values, and connect with the things that bring your life meaning. Sacredness is not something only accessible to the intensely religious, and in fact is something that can be necessary to thrive. You can invite sacredness into your life by living up to your ethical values, doing the things you consider important, and comfortably connecting with your higher power.

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Sunny Ebsary is an educator, multi-modal artist, and writer specializing in the intersection of myth and mental health. Sunny’s writing walks the line between poetic and logical, giving readers a chance to interface with the mind and imagination. Sunny’s been putting pen to paper since he was a child, writing everything from albums, novels, and plays, to essays, interactive games, and of course, many articles! While studying both psychology and writing, he realized his real passion in life was helping others unlock their creative spark. Whether he’s leading a D&D game, directing a production, or diving deep into the brain, you can be sure Sunny will be ushering you toward finding meaning in your life.