We see the world, not as it is, but as we are.
— Stephen Covey
Have you ever heard the expression “Viewing the world through rose colored glasses”? This phrase is often used to signify someone who is only looking at the good in the world, while ignoring the bad. It implies that someone is being naive. Because of this, “viewing the world through rose colored glasses” is usually seen as a bad thing, but the premise it expresses can teach us a valuable lesson.
The lesson this phrase carries is that we can choose how we perceive the world around us. We choose not only what we see, but also how we interpret what we see and experience the world around us.
You may have experienced this or seen it in others. Maybe you know that person who is an eternal optimist. Everything in their world seems to be sunshine and rainbows. Or, maybe you know someone who is very pessimistic and always focuses on all the bad things that surround them. The truth is that both of these views can be experienced even in identical circumstances.
You get to choose how you interpret and experience the world around you. Do you focus on the bad or do you focus on the good. While choosing how we experience the world may not materially change the world around is, it can profoundly change us. It can determine our level of happiness and frustration. It can change our level of hope and faith.
At the same time, focusing on the good does not mean that we completely ignore the bad. Rather, we let the good provide us with the motivation to do what we can to improve the bad. By actively choosing how we view the world, we can enable ourselves to truly make it a better place.
What lenses do you view the world through? Are these views bringing you up or bringing you down?