A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW

Things can look a whole lot different when you change your perspective. We\’ve recently been teaching Maya how changing our perspective, or how we look at something a different way, can really transform our thoughts, experiences, and even our outlook. I\’ll share an example, which the whole principal can be applied to just about anything. I am not saying it\’s always easy. It isn\’t, but it does make a difference in having a joyous experience as opposed to a miserable one, or at least a not so pleasant one. This lesson we are trying to teach our kids, applies to you and I as well! I\’m definitely not immune to being reminded that a little shift in thinking goes a long way.

Last month, Maya celebrated her 9th birthday and every year we wake her up with balloons in her bed, and singing her happy birthday with a cupcake. As she\’s gotten older, we also take her to eat and she gets to pick out where she wants to go. Well, my girl has great taste because she wanted to go to dinner at \’The Bubble,\’ which is Chez Moi, an amazing French bistro a couple of blocks away that had those insulated plastic bubbles for outdoor dining. We had an awesome time. The food was fantastic and she was having the best time. When the dessert came and we sang happy birthday, her brother, in true sibling fashion, was annoying her and screaming the song, and she was not happy. The next day, I asked her, \”Did you have a great birthday?\” Her answer called for a teaching moment. She said, \”Yeah it was great, but I wish Rocco wouldn\’t have ruined it by behaving like that when my cake came.\” I said to her, \”Well, you can choose to focus on your brother acting out because he\’s five years old and think you had a bad birthday, or you can choose to see things differently and focus on all the wonderful things you got to experience on your birthday that were so special and know you had the best birthday ever. We can\’t control how other people behave, but we can control how we choose to react to certain situations.\” She listened and I asked her again what her favorite thing was and she was able to name plenty.

You see, your whole perspective, the way you choose to see things or take things, can determine the way you look at life. If you\’re going to focus on what went horribly bad or not perfect, then you are in for a pretty miserable life experience. I\’m not saying deny disappointment or express when you\’re upset when something didn\’t go as planned. What I\’m saying is acknowledge it, but then change your perspective. Focus on what DID go well, and on what DID spark joy. It\’s these little changes in our thinking that can open our eyes to the good and the beauty of things when we have those blinders on.

We went on my building rooftop to snap these photos because my photographer, Lauren, is pretty damn brave and I won\’t be doing this again lol, but it was definitely cool to get a view from the top and see the top of so many buildings and over the main intersection and the narrow sidewalks. You could see inside so many apartments- people working, on Pelotons, watching tv, cooking, and I got to wonder- what\’s going on in their head? I wonder what they think about as they\’re doing whatever it is they\’re doing? Are they happy? Are they depressed? Are they having internal battles in their head? Making to-do lists? Worried about meeting a deadline? or a relationship? or a friend?

We\’re all faced everyday with situations and thoughts that may consume us, that get the wheels in our heads turning, and I wonder how much of those situation and thoughts can be better or not as stressful if we simply changed our perspective? It\’s work, but definitely worth it!

As for the outfit, it\’s all from Shein! Did you know that they have a premium selection of select items that are better quality? This oversized plaid coat is part of that collection. I find the best items on there! Their website can definitely be overwhelming, and when people ask how I find these pieces, I tell them I\’m very specific in the search tab. For example \”long plaid coat\” or \”ruffled white blouse\”. Or you can just go down a rabbit hole of looking through all their inventory! lol.

I love this blouse so much because I can wear it so many ways. I paired it with my plaid bermuda shorts and the coat, and I\’ve worn it in a past blog post with a pink blazer and and a ruffled black skirt. I already have plans to wear it with a lilac suit very soon! How en vogue! These platform boots were my winter staple and I will continue to use them through the spring with dresses. I love how they look with a feminine frock! Can\’t forget the oversized glasses! Accessories can be so fun and can easily set a mood for your look!

I leave you with this, \”how will you show up and change your perspective?\”

In Style,

Kathy