Choice of Posture
Growing up, I heard a lot about posture. Standing up straight seemed to be super important to my mom. I was of average height and usually landed in the middle of the line at school when we all lined up. The shorter kids always seemed cuter because we like diminutive forms. The tallest kids ended up at the back end of every line. By virtue of their DNA, they were placed last. And you know what we all think about being last. Think about what happens when you watch any recital, beauty contest or sports match. There is always more attention paid to the first contestants since we get a little bored with seeing the same thing over and over. Later on in life, height might prove to be a benefit. But there is a delay in the experience.
Stand Tall
Our everyday posture affects our lives more than we realize. This type of posture is the viewpoint we use to determine what to focus on. We each see the world through filters. The filters change throughout life but can limit what we see. If you can envision where you look outside of yourself, it can help to understand why some areas of life are improving faster than others. There is a lot to pay attention to and wearing blinders might feel like the right thing to do to really work with laser clarity. The problem is the amount of effort it takes detracts from some other viewpoint and that is where an imbalance occurs.
Notice your Outlook
Although it may change throughout life, we almost always have a default view that we are using to make decisions. The posture is usually what we use to determine our outlook. If we are focusing on seeing life through our financial status, decisions will be based on money and value. If we are focused on family, they are the basis of where attention is paid. If spirituality is foremost in our viewpoint, our posture enables us to see life through that aspect. If work and career are always in view, life revolves around them. There doesn’t seem to be balance because we are blind to what is going on around us when our focus is defined. The posture can be rationalized by realizing progress in the area in view. There are times in life when it seems like there is no choice but to stare at a fixed point. We believe that we can always adjust our viewpoint. Right after we fix this one little thing…
Perspective
Choosing a stance doesn’t necessarily mean that everything else has to be ignored. The choices we make knowingly are the best examples of how to control our thoughts and minds. When choice is paired with the right attitude, there is more progress because it is possible to use the peripheral view to notice needs outside of the main picture. A sidelong glance doesn’t have to be a side-eye. It could be just a way to keep track of other vantage points. Humans are complex beings with abilities that improve when challenged. It may be counter-intuitive to think that we can only give attention to one thing at a time. Perhaps the best alternative would be to rotate perspective. That flexibility may build a whole new vision of standing tall.
Can you identify your main focus? What focus point would you choose next to make progress? How do you feel about your height?
