Vantage Point

Where You Stand Defines Who You Are

Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

What is the point of worrying oneself too much about what one could or could not have done to control the course one’s life took? Surely it is enough that the likes of you and I at least try to make our small contribution count for something true and worthy. And if some of us are prepared to sacrifice much in life in order to pursue such aspirations, surely that in itself, whatever the outcome, cause for pride and contentment — Kazuho Ishiguro, Remains Of The Day

Don’t explain your philosophy, embody it — Epictetus

The reality is that all of us live in a bubble. We are proverbial frogs in a pond. The environment around us can force us to think about the rest of the world from the vantage point we are currently in. Often, that means we define our own selves as the center of the universe. We view the world only from ‘a’ perspective and not from multiple perspectives. However, changing and constantly shifting our perspective can help us understand the relative insignificance of our actions to a larger universe. At the same time, looking at the world from multiple vantage points can help us understand what a more meaningful utilization of our finite time on this planet can be.

This article provides three different vectors (i.e. time, space and matter) along which we can model our mindset. The idea is to help readers change their perspective towards business in particular and towards their personal lives in general. It also provides references to books and forums that readers can utilize to start thinking of the world in a different way. Of course, I don’t claim to be a master of changing perspectives. I am merely sharing the lessons I learnt by constantly uprooting my life at periodic intervals. I hope my readers find these lessons helpful too.

Last week, I faced a very difficult task. My ex-boss was feeling depressed. She was pre-occupied with the consequences of a mistake she had made while at work. I…