The Ceiling Fan Perspective

Theme :AWARENESS, UNDERSTANDING, PERCEPTION

While lying quietly in bed one morning after finishing my meditation, I looked up at the ceiling fan directly above my head. I saw five evenly spaced blades. Same as always, nothing special.

But then I happened to glance at the reflection in the large mirror on the wall.  I saw an entirely different image. The fan now appeared to have 2 arms, 2 legs, and a handle sticking out one side. Amazing!!  It was the SAME fan, but as I viewed it from a different perspective, it had a completely unfamiliar appearance.

I had never noticed that before. How could the same object look so different? Why did it fascinate me? What was it trying to tell me?

       I knew my engineer son could give me a complicated scientific explanation. But the still small voice inside my head was telling me something else. As I continued to consider these questions, I realized that there were many times when I had heated discussions with friends or family about politics or religion or some other controversial topic.  Each of us had been very adamant about insisting on our own point of view. And I would wonder, “Where did he get that idea?” “How can he possibly think that?”

Suddenly, the word “Perspective” had a whole new meaning.  When looking at the fan, its appearance depended on “where I was coming from.”  When having a discussion with friends, their opinions were based on “where THEY were coming from.”  We all receive our values from our upbringing, our schooling, our religious beliefs, our life experiences.  These events shape our opinions and give us our perspective on how we “see things.”

We may not always be able to agree on a conclusion to a sensitive discussion with people who do not “see things our way.”  But we can begin to recognize the value of respectfully listening to the opinions of others and become more open to trying to understand a situation from their perspective. Who knows: we may even broaden OUR own point of view.

“The opposite of what you believe is also true for someone else. “ Timber Hawkeye

“Perception: WE see the world, not as IT is, but as WE are.” Unknown

The only thing you sometimes have control over is perspective. You don't have control over your situation. But you have a choice about how you view it.

Chris Pine Brainy Quotes