When the problem isn’t what you think.

I had two very different conversations yesterday. Both of them underscored the same undeniable truth: When we need it most, it’s hard to achieve perspective.

The first conversation took place with a fellow Beautiful Voyager. Something was bothering him. He was spinning. I tried advice, but quickly realized it didn’t help.

Why? Because the problem wasn’t whatever he was describing. The problem was that he was in a moment of distorted thinking. What he needed was help regaining perspective.

The second conversation centered on a difficult career decision faced by one of my oldest and closest friends. She’s been waking up in the night, weighing pros and cons, looking for the right path.

It took a while, but eventually I shifted from information-gathering to intuition and feeling. There was fear in my friend’s voice. Why was it there?

Through conversation, we shifted the perspective from untangling details to untangling fear. Once we saw the fear for what it was, the whole picture got a lot clearer.

The more I work on this project and understand how anxiety and overthinking affect us, the more I’m convinced the root is a loss of perspective.

I’d love us to Leonardo da Vinci this situation together and gather up perspective-winning tips for each other. Anyone who’s felt it knows it’s true: gaining insight in the middle of a distorted perspective shitshow…feels like a work of art.

Love, Meredith

p.s. If a tactic springs to mind, share it here!

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