Today we are crossing over the half-way point of the series outlining the Seven Principles of an Uncommon Life as we introduce The Fourth Principle: Perspective.
Thus far, we have reviewed the three intial principles that help form an uncommon life: Authenticity, The Personal Code, and Desire. At this point in the series, I would like to remind everyone that these principles are meant to be foundational. What I mean by that is they are numbered in a specific order, as the one after builds on the one before. So, if you need to refresh yourself on the previous three principles, you can do so here.
I would also like to encourage you to share you thoughts, experience, and opinions on these principles. If you feel uncomfortable leaving a comment for the community, please contact me directly at nacie [@] thelifeuncommon.net. Don’t be shy! We are all here together, after all!
So let’s continue…
The Fourth Principle is called Perspective. Perspective is really two concepts rolled together: awareness of your current place in the world, and a vision for the future. Let’s examine each of these ideas individually.
First, awareness of your place in the world is a vital aspect of living uncommonly, because it helps you not only stay reasonable but see the infinite possibility you have. It is easy to see ourselves as the center of the universe, one great black hole of responsibility, drama, and complexity that the entire rest of the world revolves around. And who can blame us? In many ways, we have the weight of the world on our shoulders. We have work to do, bills to pay, health to maintain, a family to be involved in, romantic relationships and children who need us. Every day is packed full, from the time we wake up to the time we hit the pillow, with things we have to do, or should do.
With such stress and responsibility, it is easy to place undo importance on the little things, sweat the small stuff, and get bogged down in minutuae. And once we start to do that, we lose perspective of who we are in the big picture.
Your awareness of who you are in the scheme of the world can vary based on many factors, such as your religious inclinations and family position. However, regardless of your believes, it is important to realize your inherent worth in the big picture. We often forget how many people we touch on a daily basis, or the number of people we have the potential to touch, which means our contribution to the world is more vast than we can imagine. To maximize our positive impact and appreciate our true power, we must keep this awareness, this perspective, of our big-picture contribution.
Similarly, when we have big-picture awareness of our lives and the greater purpose, it helps us keep the nagging minituae which threatens to sap our energy every day at bay. When you have the sense of something bigger, you can better appreciate what is really important, what deserves your attention, and how you want to spend your time. Because once you have the big-picture, you can also appreciate how little time we are given.
The Fourth Principle also refers to perspective in terms of vision for the future. To live uncommonly, you need to be able to both recognize where you are (awareness of big picture), and visualize where you want to go. You need to have a formed vision of your uncommon life.
In many ways, I consider vision to be like the picture of the Caribbean beach you want to go to on vacation. When you are dreaming about your vacation, you look at pictures of your ideal destination and imagine yourself there, drinking fruity cocktails, basking in the sun, and swimming in the warm green water. You visualize it until it feels real, and then you start do do what you need to do to prepare (get your ticket, pack your bag, etc). If you didn’t have a vision of your vacation destination, then you wouldn’t be able to adequately prepare.
It is the same for achieving your uncommon life. Whether you are at the very start of the journey and trying to figure out how to leave your current job and start your uncommon vocation, or you are a seasoned Uncommoner who is working on deepening their career and expanding their interests, you need vision to make it happen. Vision is more than just “Someday, I want to…” it is being able to imagine yourself in that someday clearly – be able to feel things in that future, see them, smell them, and taste them. It is exactly like picturing yourself in that vacation destination postcard, the only difference is you need to create the image.
Because in order to move ahead on your journey, you need to know not only where you want to go, but where you are now.
Looking for more about Vision? Check out The Life Uncommon: How to Leave the Rat Race, Pursue Your Passions, and Succeed Financially on sale now!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Once again you have hit the proverbial nail right on the head! You are a gifted writer as you take principles and help them come to life! I love your description of vision and visualization – even for a conscious creator like me it helped me to deepen my understanding of the creative process. Thanks Nacie!
I think having that “big picture” mindset is particularly relevant in our current economic climate. It’s so easy to get discouraged and feel like we are trapped by our financial situations, but as you have said before, there will always be a reason NOT to pursure our uncommon lives. Focusing on the bigger picture means realizing, no matter what our external limitations, that we are still responsible for our own lives and capable of being proactive in achieving our goals.
you really made visualize the scene !!
Looking at the big picture is so important! Its so easy to forget and get bogged down with the little things. Sometimes I need to be reminded of the big picture. Thank you!