Living Life from 'Our Perspective'

Kishore (December 2002)

We are all so much involved in our own life and with whatever is going on in our life that we become blinded to everything else in the world. I will give a few examples where I felt this feeling strongly and tried to use this new understand to bring a new perspective into my life. 

Example 1: 

Couple of years back before coming to US, I went to my native place Rajahmundry. Ever since I started my college education in 1988, I gradually spent less and less time in that place when I visit my parents. In year 2000, when I went there, I had a euphoria that I have achieved so much in life. I visited the street where my school was and revived some past memories. Since I had completed my education, started working, got married and so on, I felt life has been good for past few years. 

Suddenly on that day I saw 'mad person' on the street. He is familiar to me. I used to be scared of him when I was a kid and was studying in school (back in 1982). He used to roam around in our neighbourhood and I tried my best to avoid him. Seeing the same person after nearly 18 years, made me think. I was thinking so much has changed from 'my perspective'. Has anything changed from this mentally deranged person. I still found him in shabby clothes. He also aged and looks bigger compared to my memory. Has anything changed from his perspective? Does the technology revolution and every thing else that happened in the world mean anything to him? No, not at all. His life has not changed and he is living the same life he lived for more than 18 years.  

These thoughts nag me even now and whenever I bother a lot about some thing not working the way I want it, I remember that I am always thinking from my perspective and should change my perspective.

Example 2: 

My daughter brings books from her school every day to read. One day she brought a book "Zazu's view". This is story of a movie "Lion King" an animated disney movie. Instead of main story, in this book the story is narrated from a character's view. The story reads completely different when read from this perspective. In a normal way the story has a continuous time frame. Whereas in this story there is a big time gap because the character from whose view the story is narrated, the character has no way of knowing what happened for the 'gap period'.

I realized having a different view brings new perspective to thinking from this simple example.

Example 3:

 Being addicted to computer and e-mail, I keep sending quite sometime on computer at home also. It comes naturally to me. But my wife complains I don't spend enough time with family and waste my time with the 'stupid' computer on internet. I had difficulty in understanding her feelings. 

One day my wife had a specific interest and took computer from me and spent less than half an hour. During that particular half an hour I felt very uncomfortable and felt my wife was ignoring me. That did it!! I realized what she has been complaining about for a long time. Only after I went through similar experience, I realized it. When I looked at things from 'my perspective' it all looked fine and good. I was comfortable with the way I have been spending my time and living my life. 

A learning

It is natural for us to have a limited view of life. Our body needs, our mental needs take first priority. It is the survival instinct that drives us to take care of ourselves first. This tendency starts to become an obsession and we gradually become more self-centered. Even when we are not under threat, we start looking at every situation and event in life only from our perspective and convenience. 

When we are happy we start looking at all good things around us. When we are sick and unhappy we start observing all bad things around us. We live our life from our perspective. 

I felt there is a need to change. Any time I start taking my life more seriously in utterly selfish manner, I think back on the lines of the above three examples I stated. I try one of the views and try to reason what I am doing. If I realize that I am being selfish and ignorant of others' views, I tell myself. Take care, get out of this 'selfish perspective'. Expand the perspective. Think from a different perspective (others' perspective). Give the love, empathy others need. Expand the consciousness[1]. 

Summary

Anytime I find myself disturbed and think 'I' is taking higher priority, I know I am not on the right track. I need to be unselfish and go beyond myself and expand my consciousness. Only that can me lead me on my goals of spiritual realization and being a good human being. 

Related Articles: 
[1] Masterful Illustration

Post a Comment