06 Mar Zooming Out: The Power of Putting Things in Perspective
We all get upset.
And I don’t know about you, but much of my upset comes from me catastrophising and overgeneralising.
What that means is that for me, to stay calm and happy as much as possible, I need to constantly work on keeping things in perspective.
Which is what this Psychology Today article by Gregg Levoy is all about …
KEY POINTS
The primary purpose of taking in the bigger picture is to help focus one’s attention and values.
People have to learn to catch themselves in the act, noticing when they’re mired in details and losing the bigger picture.
Putting problems in perspective is a master skill, capable of showing people how to navigate challenges.
Shortly after the publication of my book Callings, my publicist got a call from one of the producers at the Oprah Winfrey Show, who wanted to interview me about the possibility of being a guest. I was told to expect a call within the next week.
But the producer didn’t call that week, or the next, or the next, or the next. And what began as a shock of excitement quickly devolved into pacing and muttering and prayer that sounded suspiciously like begging. Every time the phone rang, for a month, I cleared my throat and tried to say hello with charming confidence, even when it turned out to be some guy wanting to sell me storm windows.
Over a month later, the producer finally called, and we spent 45 minutes on the phone, followed the next day by 45 minutes with a different producer, who said she had to get final approval from a senior producer. Which never came.
But over the following weeks, I kept wondering what I could tell myself in that moment while the coin was being tossed …
… keep reading the full & original article HERE