When the postcard arrived, it was no surprise. My stepdad sends me postcards all the time. A photo of a shipwrecked fishing boat, haggard on the shore. Clearly the result of a storm. I didn’t think much of it, other than being a well-taken photograph. It wasn’t until I read the message on the back, that the photo impacted me.
“You think business is tough? Look where a hurricane left this fisherman.”
It’s a poignant reminder of how much of our livelihood can hinge on a single item – a boat for fisherman, a computer for white collar professional. How devastating it can be to lose such a crucial business tool in an instant. Life has a way of throwing us curveballs, challenges, and downright catastrophes.
Thus is the premise for this episode of The White Collar Therapy Show w/ Robb & Ryan. Our final episode of Season I and 2018.
Full Video Replay
Storms of Life and Perspective
Robb makes the point that we’re all in the thick of it when it comes to what life throws our way. “Life does happen and how do we handle things when they happen,” he says, “You can use the boat as a metaphor. Hey, sometimes boats they weather a storm that does some major damage, and how do we handle the storms of life? Call them trials and tribulations, call them obstacles. Whether it’s small, large, extreme, or subtle – it doesn’t matter. […] So much of life and what life throws at us is about perspective.”
The importance of perspective isn’t just for major events, either. It can color even the most mundane issues. The example Robb uses includes two people working on the same team, at the same company. Each employee receives an identical email from the boss. “The email is clearly communicating to them that there’s need for improvement,” Robb says. “One of these team members gets all frustrated and discouraged, ‘I can’t believe they said this about me.’ The other person, receiving the same exact email, absorbs it differently. [He or she] begins to view it as an opportunity for further growth, not only for them but for the overall team.”
It’s a scenario and one that is played out in offices and teams every day. A simple difference in perspective – something that can be affected by our past experiences, our insecurities, our own unresolved issues and about a million other things.
The number of things that affect our perspective can make it seem as though we’re stuck with it. After all, with so many factors at play, what can we realistically do to change the way in which we see the world? We agree there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but finding each person’s individual answer is key. Whether it’s adopting healthier living habits or addressing chronic mental, emotional, or physical issues – there are always steps people can take in order to change their perspective, and their lives.
“At the end of day,” Robb says, “I think the healthier we live, the sooner we can begin having a healthier perspective – not only on ourselves, but also other people and our life circumstances.”
About White Collar Therapy
WCT is a community-driven initiative led by Myself and Robb Holman, Author of the Lead the Way Book [View on Amazon]. Every other Monday we meet for a live stream, from which we later release as a podcast. The show and the podcast are then featured here on the AutoConversion blog. Sign up here to join the exclusive member list today!
