Change Your Perspective

I'd like to share a Yiddish Folktale that illustrates the power of changing your perspective... There once was a farmer who became very disenchanted with his life. He decided to go see his Rabbi for advice. The Rabbi asked him what was making him feel so bad and the man replied, "I just can't take it anymore! I have a wife and two children living at home in one small room. It is too much for a man to bear." After hearing the man's tale of woe the Rabbi told him to go home and bring one of his cows into the house. The man thought the Rabbi must not be listening to his problem and questioned the advice, but the Rabbi told him to simply follow his recommendation and come back to see him in one week. The next week the farmer returned more upset than ever and reported; "Now I have even less space to myself. The cow is making a mess and I feel worse than before." In response, the Rabbi told the man to go home and bring in a horse from the barn. The man pleaded with the Rabbi that this would not be helping his situation, but the Rabbi persisted in his advice. "See me in one week he told the farmer." When the man returned the next week he was really at the end of his rope. "I am at a loss to find happiness in this situation," he said. "The house is in total chaos, children running around, animals everywhere, I feel terrible." The Rabbi was now ready to help the farmer see things in a different way. He told the man, "Go home and return the animals to the barn, and see me in one week." As you might have guessed, when the man returned in one week he was ecstatic. "Thank you Rabbi, I am so happy now!" Hopefully you see the obvious point of this story - your experience of life is all about perspective. Our minds create stories about the people, events, and circumstances of our lives. Sometimes these stories help, but often they hinder our happiness and enjoyment of life. So, take a moment and ask yourself, "Where might I be able to benefit by finding a new way to look at things?" As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's topic. You can write to me at kim@coachkim.com. © 2009 Kim Smith