by Garry C. Galvez
One commonly posted goal on social media, especially at the start of the year, is the resolution to live more and be a better person. What does that look like for you?
Some people opt for an outward change. Lots of women aim to improve their physical look by adopting “operation balik beauty.” They post pictures on social media sites while they are in the gym, sculpting their bodies. Still others post the result of long hours of hair regimens. I recall, the last time my wife went to a beauty salon. Her hair treatment got us 4 hours of waiting in which I ended up getting a haircut, too. But, unfortunately, a simple haircut cannot change our perspective about life. There is no instant recipe for change of perspective.
A change of perspective means a change in how we see the world, how we process what is happening to us.
A change of perspective can make us see negative situations as positive ones.
I recently saw a picture on Facebook, which shows a woman lying with her face on the ground with a caption, “Monday na naman!” This tells me that there are those who see Mondays as pressure-ful instead of being pleasurable. When I was in high school, I recall my mother scolding me for being late, telling me, “Ano ba yan, Lunes na Lunes!” Those words summarized all the pressures and struggles that have to be faced every Monday. Perhaps a change of perspective could encourage us to appreciate Mondays. If we see them as a great opportunity for our children to learn, or a new week in which to improve ourselves, we can face them with a good attitude.
A change of perspective can change frustrations into possibilities for growth. Public transportation is never fun in the Philippines. But, seeing unfamiliar faces heading the same direction, while riding the infamous Light Rail Transit, makes commuting a worthwhile experience. For the last 3 months, I have been taking the LRT to the office. One morning, the train suddenly stopped between two stations. You can imagine the reactions of the passengers. Some checked their watches; others took out their phones and started calling or texting. Most of the passengers became furious. Fortunately, I could stare out the window at some of the billboards, and one particular advertisement made me pause. The ad had a black background with a white lettering and read: “Need directions? –God” Was this a coincidence? While the others were frantic because of our present condition on the train, I found solace by looking at the problem in a new way.
Our perspective in life determines the path we will tread; it determines whether we will be angry or content. If our perspective includes our faith in God, then any day is an opportunity to keep a
good perspective.
