Have you noticed how different the scenery is on a return journey to a destination? How we see the surrounding country in a completely altered way? Changing our perspectives can sometimes open up a whole new world.

Similarly, if we look at life or others in the same way each day, we may get stuck in seeing things from the same position. Sometimes, all it takes is a small shift to change what we see.
Here are some simple exercises to widen our horizons:

Take a different route. Change the direction of your routine daily journeys. Try a different route and notice what you see. Reverse your journey and observe what is different about your surroundings.

Change your seat. This is a great exercise when you are stuck in the same story in a relationship. Physically move yourself and sit in a different chair where you imagine the other person would sit and see how he/she may view the situation. This is a wonderful way to enhance understanding and to build empathy.

Daily reflection. It is sometimes useful, when reflecting, to journal as if you are an observer. Recording an event or discussion from a neutral position often helps you to see things differently. Looking at how you may have contributed to a problem assists in taking ownership and moving away from blaming others.

Slow down. Take in the view. As John Lubbock said – “Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.”

Remember that what we see and understand depend largely on the way we view things. Shifting our perspective may change the way we look at ourselves, our surroundings and our relationships.