On the importance of perspective and the truth that you find
This first business day after Thanksgiving, I’m struck as I often am, by the importance of perspective and the truth that you find what you’re looking for. Some people are upbeat about the holiday just past and the things they are grateful for. Others have little interest in talking about what’s good when there is so much disaster and bad news in the world.
I see again and again that the most confident people accept difficulties and bad news with a sense of equanimity. They don’t deny sad reality, but they don’t get hung up on it, either. They rarely try to save the world; rather, they look for ways to make positive contributions in their spheres of influence. They don’t bother cataloging all the things that are wrong with this world because they recognize how quickly that drains a person’s energy. Without energy, nothing gets done.
Making a difference first requires taking oneself in hand, viewing the calamity of life, and deciding where to focus time, energy and resources. It helps to ignore the shrill voices of melodrama and despair because they generally don’t lead to solutions.
Maintaining a healthy sense of perspective leads to greater productivity, calmer more reasoned action, and a sense of humor that is appreciative, not vituperative.
Categories: General Advice, LeadershipAbout Susan Marshall
