5 tips to change your perspective on life

Does the monotony of everyday living get you feeling disenchanted? A survey (read it here) shows that only 37% of people don’t get bored. That leaves a whopping 63% that does!

When we do the same things, day after day, the ordinary risks becoming a weight instead of an opportunity. And ladies, we sure know that our daily lives can be far from glamorous.

Wiping noses, teaching fractions, doing laundry, grocery shopping and running errands doesn’t seem like the most conducive task in opening our eyes to the unexpected.

However, it is in the familiar that we have consistent access to an unlimited supply of surprise!

 Curiosity towards the world, the people, around us invites us into the unexpected pleasure of embracing the things we almost miss with their familiarity. 

Cultivating the practice of observation goes a long way in eliminating the apathy that is easy to fall into with our ordinary days. Let’s consider a few deceptively simple ways to interrupt the way we normally view things,  with the goal to find the world a more interesting place!

How do I change my perspective?

The challenge here is to notice 5 new things you haven’t thought about before. Whether it is people you see all the time, places you always go or senses that we forget about?

These are easy ways to escape boredom and reignite interest in our everyday surroundings:

• The grocery store– notice labels and packaging, find 5 that catch your eye and look for a common theme. Font? Color? Shapes?  While you are there, find 5 foods you are completely unfamiliar with and consider where they are from and who enjoys them. Pick one to try
• The park– walk around or sit on the bench. Listen for 5 unique sounds and identify them. Feel the fresh air and see if there are 5 sensory reactions
• The hobby store- head to the fabric section and find 5 “feels”.  Close your eyes and see how you identify the different textures and observe how your fingertips give so much information to the brain. Ask the clerk to snip off an edge for you and keep it somewhere as a reminder of this gift

• The library- walk the building and find 5 sections you’d normally gloss over that aren’t your thing. Check one out and learn something new
• The theater– notice 5 posters and see what catches your attention, or repels it. See if there are 5 jobs that might have gone unnoticed before today
• People you know– ask a question, maybe something about their childhood delights, favorite smell, least favorite foods, a relative they admired, etc. Pick 5 people or 5 questions (click here for 40 questions that build connections)
• Hardware or auto store– peruse 5 aisles you don’t ever visit. This is a fun chance to be in awe of all we don’t know about that happens every day around us

Why is it important to change your perspective?

Interesting people are interested.

I remember telling that to my kids when they were whining or bored as children. I can’t remember where I heard it, but I hoped to teach them to look around them with curiosity and embrace the surprises of ordinary life.

This is a lesson I took to heart myself as well.

There is nothing magical about the number 5, it is just a jumping-off point. Do 1 or 127. Look up, look down, look all around.

These ideas are simple, random ideas.

The only directive in the challenge is to be purposefully curious about the world around us. 

This has been a powerful life-changer for me and I hope you find joy in this practice as well! Let’s make this year the one where we love the life we have.

Your turn- how do YOU fight the monotony of the mundane?

Resources to encourage you:

• The Gift of an Ordinary Day: A Mother’s Memoir
• Ordinary Joy: Finding Fresh Promise in Routine Moments
• Mixed-Media Journals: Creatively Chronicling Your Life Paperback
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