“Life is a matter of perspective. There are many people who may know you,
but there are very few that understand who you are.”—Unknown
***
When you see a glass with only half of it with water, how do you look at it? Is it half-empty or half-full? The same is true with life. How you look at your own life is up to you. You may have seen a number written as “6” from your side but a man from another side looks at it as “9”.
I have three volumes of the book, 1000 Stories You Can Use. It is a collection of short stories, tales, anecdotes, poems, and essays by a priest named Frank Mihalic.
“It has been a hobby of mine since 1935 to collect inspirational stories,” he wrote in his acknowledgements. “Many of them would come from the newspapers and magazines of the day. Most have since gone out of publication. Many of the authors I quote are no longer alive.”
Now, allow me to quote some stories which show how other people look at things and life in a different perspective. You may disagree with them but that’s how they see things from their own perspective:
One day, I stood alongside an anthill and watched the activity. Everyone down there was moving, running in this and that direction. Everyone seemed to know exactly where to go and very evidently everyone was busy about something, doing something.
Ants are, after all, not insects we associate with relaxation or taking it easy. Each has his own job and knows just what to do. I wondered who bossed them. I had heard that they have a queen, like the bees. I noticed some ants were carrying eggs around, moving them to another place; some were carrying little bits of food, some were soldiers guarding the anthill.
Gosh, they must have quite a government. And I wondered how they communicated, how they talked because otherwise, how could they be so organized? I wondered how I could find all this out.
I came to the conclusion that there was only one way; to descend to their level if possible, to become an ant.
My thought: if we want to know how others are living, we can know by experiencing what they have been through.
The other night, we went to a local art exhibit put on mainly for the rural folk. I saw a farmer walk up to one abstract picture and look at it from all angles. Finally, he told his wife he wanted to buy it.
When she asked why, he answered, “Best darned picture of the farm situation I have ever seen. No matter which way you look at it, it doesn’t make sense.”
My idea: It may be beautiful to those who created them, but to those who experienced it, life is not what it seems to be to them.
The beggar stopped a man on the street and asked for some money for something to eat. The man said, “I’ll buy you a drink if you like.”
The beggar replied, “I never drink.” The man told him, “Well, then, I’ll buy you a good cigar.”
“But I don’t smoke,” the beggar said. “All I want is something to eat.”
“I’ve got a good tip for a horse this afternoon,” the man said, “and I’ll put some money on it for you. You can have the winnings.”
“But I don’t believe in gambling. All I want is food,” the beggar said.
“In that case,” said the man, “I’d like you to come home to dinner with me. I’d like my wife to meet you because I want her to see what happens to a man who doesn’t smoke, drink, or gamble.”
I think you can have your own conclusion on this anecdote.
It was Billy’s six birthday. He had told his parents he wanted a dog more than anything in the world. When he got home from school, his father led him into the living room.
A full-grown Saint Bernard was standing in the middle of the room. Billy walked around the huge dog, being careful not to get too close.
“Is anything wrong, Billy?” the father asked.
“No,” answered Billy. “Just tell me one thing – is he for me or am I for him?”
What do you think, dear readers?
When people are being pushed and shoved by a big crowd, they lose their sense of direction. So, what they do is pull out of the crowd, climb onto something like stairs to a building, have a look around and get their bearings and make sure they are going in the right direction.
This is a smart thing to do in life, too – to be a bit like Zacchaeus, who also climbed up out of the crowd. Doing this few minutes per day – especially in the morning – is a good way to plan our path in God’s direction.
To end this column, allow me to quote the words of Stephen R. Covey. “Wisdom,” he said, “is your perspective on life, your sense of balance, your understanding of how the various parts and principles apply and relate to each other.”
