Imagine asking your friends to send you a photo or word of what made them happy.
Some might send a photo of food or a car, others a photo of their partner or relatives. At any given time, given the context and past experience, we all view and experience the world differently.
In many ways, we could use appreciation as a synonym for perspective in this example as it also highlights what we value most in life. Think of your daily routine, there are many parts of it which we take for granted and forget to appreciate. Sometimes we can pause during the mundane moments and think of everything that has come together to bring us where we are. It can be anything from the buildings around us to the men who helped dig the tunnels for the tube, or anyone involved in building the roads we drive on. Bringing these thoughts to mind is at its most challenging when we find ourselves in the midst of a horrible day, but it often helps distract us, if but for a moment, and it can also help improve your day!
The science of psychology has already established a proven test which preys on our contrasting perspectives to help determine personality profiles. The inkblot Rorschach tests provide objective confirmation that past experiences and current mindsets alter our perception of something as simple as a splodge. Photographers are also particularly adept at revealing unusual takes on traditional events or even something as simple as a building. A photo has the ability to provide a different angle to what we were expecting and one of the most common tips photographers will share is to avoid taking photos at eye level, the best photos are often taken from what was an unknown angle.
Marcel Proust famously said "The real journey of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes".
So let’s use our senses to see and feel new things, or better yet, to see and feel old things in a new light!