Culture Editor
“You are perfect just the way you are” is a phrase familiar to many. Uttered by our parents, friends, and teachers almost daily, it’s a sentence many of us love to hear. It’s comfortable, reassuring, and easy. Yet, the phrase is an excuse. It enables people to stay in their comfort zones and acquiesce to the worst of their traits. Along with that phrase comes the sentiment that “nobody is perfect.” This serves as a reason not to better ourselves by reminding us that if everyone else is flawed, we are allowed to be flawed ourselves. And we are. You are allowed to be imperfect, but the issue arises when you don’t actively try to make yourself a better person. So, to improve yourself, try changing your perspective to one of positivity and gratuity.
Negative emotions like anger, sadness, and jealousy are comfortable. We want to blame somebody else for our mistakes, our failures, or what we lack. We want to lash out and sink into those feelings because they’re easy to feel. The challenge comes when you have to shift your perspective to focus on the positive or reasonable aspects of your circumstances. Instead of letting jealousy consume you and harm your character, acknowledge that your time will come and allow yourself to be happy for others. By changing your perspective on unfortunate outcomes, you can relieve yourself of negative emotions that may burden you and those around you.
Gratitude is another crucial aspect of shifting your perspective. Many desire what they don’t or can’t have. Whether it’s a grade, a new phone, nicer clothes, or even an entirely different life, the things we don’t have stay trapped in the back of our minds. Yet, you should focus on the things that you do have. Instead of wishing for a different life, learn to appreciate the fact that you are alive. Appreciate waking up every morning, walking in the sun, laughing, and crying. Instead of wishing for a better grade or less homework, appreciate that you get an education. When you are drowning in schoolwork or angry that you have a test next period, understand that you are filling your mind with knowledge while many kids do not have the same opportunity.
It is likely that for most of the negative situations you wind up in, there is a reason to be grateful and a way to make a positive change to your perspective. I am not saying that it is easy or that you must find a positive in every single negative, and I am not saying that you can’t wallow in the hurt sometimes. Yet, changing your perspective will enable you to grow as a person and deal with the difficulties in your life in a much healthier way. By taking the initiative to slow down, allowing yourself to reflect on your circumstances, and then shifting your perspective, you actively choose to better yourself and become a more appreciative, positive, and mindful person.
Categories: Opinion