WORDS OF WISDOM -- 1
"Two men looked out from prison bars, one saw the mud, the other saw the stars.”
Frederick Langbridge
The above quote is a lovely little poem about optimism and pessimism. But I think it is about more than just that.
I am constantly amazed at how two people can look at one event and come up with two different ideas of what is going on. How you look at any situation is based on your past experiences and future expectations.
Take our two prisoners from above. Could it be that the one gazing longingly up at the stars is finding his escape in beauty or the creator? Or is it just as likely that the one staring at the ground is looking for a more terrestrial means of escape...perhaps a weakness in the prison or even a key dropped by a negligent guard? Two possibilities in one event.
It sort of makes sense. I mean, after all, there is night and day, left and right, up and down. But is one viewpoint innately better than the other? I don't think so. It could be that looking at a problem from a different angle might give you an insight in how to correct it or make it work for you.
Life is what you make it and you can either look on the bright side or the opposite way and be depressed.
Having faith in that tomorrow is another day when you will be better than today is something that is possible for everyone. Life is what you make it. Smile at the first person you see at the start of a day because smiles are infectious and relieve tension like no medicine can.
Based on an Article first published as Nuggets of Wisdom - It Is All A Matter of Perspective on Technorati.
