Power of Perspective and Being Positive to Achieve Success in Life
Life is not only about basking in the sun, but also dancing in the rain!
Perspectives
Perspective is the way one sees something. It is a choice.
What is your perspective?
What has perspective to do with positivity?
As stated by Dr. Terri Kennedy, President, Power Living Enterprises, Inc.
The ability to reframe a situation is an important skill that can transform your life and our world.
Difficult situations in life can be more manageable, if we change our perspective. In the following section, I show, through a real-life story, how we have different ways of looking at the same thing, and how we can embrace the best perspective and be successful.
Different Perspectives, Positive Mindset, and Success
A few years ago, when we were struggling to meet project deadlines, the program sponsor brought a new project manager (PM) in. The team had been working overtime for quite some time; all of us were tired and dejected. The new PM was very efficient and was able to get the project back on track in a short duration of time.
Soon after the new PM joined, he called me, a consultant on the program and the senior business analyst to understand the situation and hear our side of the story. In the course of the conversation, which I found very motivating, he drew something very similar to the picture above (minus the green grass), using a black marker on a whiteboard.
By the way, how do you read the above picture? I mean what do you see in the picture?
By the time he finished drawing it, I was wondering —
What is this guy up to?
What is the context here?
Am I missing something?
What does an ant crawling towards a cross have to do with us or the project?
I was about to ask him the same thing, but just then, he wrote the below words on the whiteboard —
“BEEEEEEE +VE!!!”
and then turned, and with a smile, repeated the same words.
Different perspectives. Interesting, isn’t it? I saw a bee a crawling towards a cross, which was not wrong, but did not fit the context of our discussion. The PM wanted to use the same picture to motivate us to stay positive which was quite understanding, given the then dismal state of the project. I found his perspective more acceptable.
He continued,
“How do you see a glass half filled with water — half-full or half-empty?”
Without waiting for a reply he said,
“I see the glass as half-full and start to think of ways to work, to fill the other half. There are problems in the project, but nothing is impossible. With the right strategy, we can make this project successful. I am positive we will make it. Be positive!”
And together with the team, he worked on the plan, revisited priorities, worked to get the blockers out of the way for high priority items, and convinced the business to move deadlines for low priority items. While we had to work long hours, the PM’s support, attitude, his enthusiasm, and approach to the overall situation, was motivating for the team to go out of their comfort zone to give in their best to make things happen. And we were successful!
Lessons Learned and Concluding Thoughts
- While it is natural for individuals to look at a problem from only one perspective, that is their own perspective, there are multiple perspectives and angles from which situations or problems can be looked at; by being open-minded, honest, and adaptable, we are able to appreciate the different perspectives and which one fits the context best, find new opportunities, choose the option or perspective that works best for the situation, even if it is not our own perspective, solve problems, and be more successful.
- Having optimistic approach enables us to approach unpleasant situations in a more positive and productive way, thus increasing our chances of success.
- And last, but not the least, surround yourself with positive people!
I hope you enjoyed the article :). Thank you for reading! Take care!
Please let me know if this article was helpful. Leave a comment here or connect on LinkedIn.
Biography: Rupa Mahanti is a consultant, data enthusiast, researcher, writer, spiritualist, and author of several books, mostly on data. One of her books — Thoughts: A Collection of Inspirational Quotes, contains some fundamental truths of life in the form of more than 100 quotes. Every reader will find something in the book that he or she can resonate with and apply the same to their own lives.
