Monthly Mindset Shift: The Power of Perception

Welcome to the fifth blog post in the series “Monthly Mindset Shift”! As the name indicates, this series will have one new post per month for the next several months. Each post in the series will detail a positive mindset shift we can make surrounding a feeling or experience that generally has a negative connotation. (Spoiler alert: For this post, that experience is negative perception!) These shifts aren’t designed to erase all of our difficult/unwanted emotions around the topic at hand. Rather, they simply serve to improve our general outlook on the matter, which can, in turn, improve our actions and our outcomes. They’re all the more proof that a healthier, more constructive mindset can change the game!

If you feel like you’ve been dwelling on small negatives lately, or you’ve just been struggling to see the positives in your life, this blog post is for you. The thing about our thoughts is that they often spiral. One negative thought can lead to another that leads to another and so on and so forth. Similarly, one positive thought can lead to another that leads to another and so on and so forth. We can’t always control where our minds go, nor do we always have to try. We’re more than allowed to have thoughts that aren’t positive or pleasant. They don’t need to be representative of our overall mindset. In fact, if you’ve read my post How to Create Balance in Your Mindset with These 5 Paradoxes, you know that positivity doesn’t equate to being happy all the time. (Go check it out if you haven’t!)

With all of that being said, if you’re looking to break free from a negative thought spiral about your life or yourself, you might benefit from this important reminder—perception is everything. The way you perceive something is the way that it will take form in your life. If you’re a 2000s Disney Channel kid like myself, you might remember the Hannah Montana song, Life’s What You Make It. Not only was it a great song, but its title couldn’t be truer! Life, and everything in it, is what you make it. If you perceive a rejection as a big deal, that’s what it’ll be. If you perceive it as nothing more than an indication you & the other party aren’t a match, that’s what it’ll be.

Not only can you realistically minimize the negative implications of a situation through this technique, but you can also amplify the positive ones. For example, that rejection may’ve just saved you from an incompatible relationship/match. In fact, it could’ve been a redirection toward the relationship/match of your dreams! The time you would’ve spent in the wrong venture is time you can now spend preparing yourself for the right one. These are reasons to not only overcome the negative thoughts but to actually get excited and inspired!

Also, if you just haven’t been loving life in general lately, you don’t need a major life event to happen to change that. Of course, if there are things that you desire to change for yourself, you can absolutely work on doing so. In the meantime, though, you can aim to take advantage of your current circumstances. Never again will your life be EXACTLY the way it is right now. Moments don’t come in duplicates. So, why not find ways to seize this moment and make it memorable in a positive way?

For example, say you’re not so crazy about your current job. You can try to find ways to make it more enjoyable for yourself as you search for a new one. Whether it’s befriending your coworkers, seeing your tasks as fun challenges rather than dreadful chores, putting extra TLC into your appearance for work, drinking your favorite coffee at your desk, or anything in between, these little things can make more of a difference than you might expect. Having immediate gratification (instantly getting a better job) and hating your life until you get one are not your only two options. The third option is putting consistent effort into getting that better job WHILE making the most of your current one.

In life, there are so many variables outside of our control. Determining what we can vs. can’t control is crucial for our mental wellbeing. We’re beyond entitled to get upset, frustrated, angry, etc. about certain things we can’t control. We wouldn’t be human if we didn’t! However, when we’re ready to turn things around, we have to fall back on what we can control. Our perception is a great place to start!

For instance, you can’t control how someone else feels about you. If someone doesn’t like you, that might sting if you like them. (Of course if you don’t like them, there’s no need for it to sting at all!). However, finding out they don’t like you can bring you clarity amid your confusion. It can help you move on and eventually meet someone who thinks you’re the greatest person ever (and you, them).

In another example, you can’t control the way you feel when you start college and discover you hate your major. It might feel like a nuisance to change it, especially if you have no idea what you want to study instead. However, once again, at least it’s a step toward gaining clarity. That clarity can open up the doors to amazing new possibilities if you let it.

To put it simply, your life is the greatest blank canvas you could possibly be given. Although certain paints may get thrown onto it that aren’t so pretty, YOU decide what to do with those paints. You can’t erase them completely, so your choices are a) to let them define the painting or b) to find the beauty in them and flesh it out until it’s as beautiful a painting as can be. Going with Choice B doesn’t mean you should dismiss the unwanted emotions that come with those not-so-pretty paints. It simply means that those emotions aren’t going to ruin your perception of your life in the long run. An even simpler, more commonly used analogy is that we either see the glass half empty or half full. Choosing to see it as half full gives us that much more to be grateful for!

In addition to finding beauty in the hardships of life, be sure to create beauty from scratch, as it will only enhance the canvas of your life that much more. Make meaningful connections, do things that fulfill you, and sprinkle small pleasures into everyday. Romanticize your life, because it is indeed what you make it!