Mystified? Try a Different Perspective

I was stumped. 

I sat on my cruise ship balcony and stared at the object floating on the Mediterranean in the distance. It was white and oddly shaped. Too small for a boat. Too far from shore for a buoy. The wrong shape for an animal. Too large for trash. 

I pondered awhile, mystified. 

Then as our ship pulled further away, I saw the object from a different angle. It was, quite clearly, a small boat. I’d previously been staring directly at the bow and utterly confused. Now seeing it from the side, its identity was obvious. 

How often have I had that exact experience with other events in my life? Something unexpected happens, and I’m utterly perplexed. Frustrated. Confused. What is this? Why is it happening? Why did I fail at my job? What does this diagnosis mean? Why did she leave?

And then time passes. I look back on an experience with a new perspective and suddenly the reason is clear. Why it occurred. How my own actions contributed to it. What it did for me. How it helped me grow. I don’t understand everything, but much of what was once a haze often comes into sharp relief.

When you face a frustratingly mysterious event in your life, pause. Take a calming breath. Try to look at it objectively, without judgement. Shift your gaze to different perspectives. Give it time. If you do, the answers you seek may become clear, and you’ll take another step toward Becoming Yourself.