Have you ever stopped to watch a photographer taking a professional photo?  He can’t change the scene, but in trying to capture the best photo he manoevres his angle and his lens to capture the best of that scene.  And when a chef makes that gourmet dish, he gets given the ingredients and in order to bring out the best in each of them, he adds more of one, less of another. He may choose not to even add one at all – all to create that delicious outcome. And if we use these two metaphors about our life, isn’t it true?

Sometimes, our situation cannot change.  For whatever reason, we need to stay in a relationship that may not be entirely satisfying or in a job that is not overly rewarding. But even in these seemingly stagnant positions, we still have options.

We can choose to focus on our stuckness, our victimhood, our loss of control, our loss of power and our failure to take action. Or we can choose to adopt a different mindset, a different angle, a different ingredient and in so doing allow ourselves to be open to potentially a different perspective.

Sometimes, adopting that different mindset doesn’t change the situation, but it certainly changes feelings, feelings changes our thoughts, and thoughts and feelings drive our behaviours.

This intentional effort allows us to move out of the rut of repetitive, unconscious, automatic thoughts into conscious, mindful, thought-driven actions that may actually pay off and in the long run, bring about change, empower you and help you to do different.

Isn’t there that saying, “change your perspective, change your reality”? So just as a photographer might change his lens or shift his position so too, can you make the change.

When you take the bull by the horns, the horse by the reins and shift your perspective, you’re learning from each situation, taking whatever you can from it and using it to grow.

Life is fickle and often will throw us a curve ball, but these unpredictable events and situations can be seen as opportunities.

Every situation you find yourself in will depend on your perspective, your beliefs and your feelings in the moment.

This is the filter through which you see the world and your situation. You always have a choice.  You can choose to put a positive spin and use a positive lens to see the situation, so that your situation is seen as an opportunity or you can put on a negative lens, and you can see the limitations and flaws that this situation brings.

So here’s hoping that today you choose to put on the glasses that filter in the sunshine, the warmth and the good in the day.