Article on changing perspective, changing your life

THE OPPOSITE MIGHT ALSO BE TRUE
Copyright by Kathleen Hawkins
www.WinningSpirit.com

Have you ever been caught in rush hour traffic careening along at warp speed? Usually I avoid traffic because I don't commute to work, but there I was one day, on a busy freeway at the height of rush hour. Cars were zooming by me, speeding, tailgating, changing lanes without using their blinkers, and weaving in and out of traffic. I clutched the steering wheel—going with the flow the best I could—and ranted and seethed about all the bad drivers on the road.

Then it dawned on me that the opposite might also be true.

It took a great deal of skill for people to drive the way they were driving and live to tell about it. Maybe they were either good or bad drivers depending on my perspective. So instead of cursing people for driving badly, I pronounced everyone a skillful driver.

This by no means condones dangerous driving. Many people were still driving recklessly, but traffic was flowing along amazingly well, all things considered. I decided that, as long as it’s human nature to believe something at all times, I might as well believe something that gets me home relaxed and feeling peaceful. My mood lightened, my hands relaxed on the wheel, and I made it home safely thanks to my good driving and the skill of everyone else on the road.

Since then I’ve played “the opposite might also be true” in other areas of my life, as well, and I realize that any moment can be a turning point if there’s a shift in perception. If people behave rudely, for example, I can mentally pronounce them warm, compassionate people who might be having a difficult day. If something doesn’t work out the way I want, I affirm that it turned out for the best because something as good as I want—or better—is on its way.

Philosopher and author Ernest Holmes wisely said “Change your thinking, change your life.”

In the moment between focusing on outward circumstances and focusing on an inward, more life-affirming perspective, a potential exists for a turning point. Our whole world hovers, balances precariously, and waits for us to decide. If we choose wisely, we arrive at our destination feeling relaxed and peaceful, clear thinking, and calm.

You may copy, reprint, or forward this article to friends,
colleagues or customers, as long as you include the following credit:
Copyright by Kathleen Hawkins, author of Spirit Incorporated: How to
Follow Your Spiritual Path from 9 to 5. www.WinningSpirit.com

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MEET KATHLEEN HAWKINS

Kathleen is a speed reading expert, vice president of the National Management Institute, and the author of four books, Time Management Made Easy, Test Your Entrepreneurial IQ, Reverse Speech: Hidden Messages in Human Communication, and Spirit Incorporated: How to Follow Your Spiritual Path From 9 to 5. She wrote a column for five years for Success magazine and wrote and produced the best-selling audio-cassette programs, Speed Read to Win and How to Organize Yourself to Win. Her articles and ideas on how to increase personal and professional effectiveness have appeared in more than 200 national publications. In addition to being a best-selling author, Kathleen is a professional speaker and a business consultant. Thousands of people from all levels of business, science, education, and industry have taken her courses.

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