“For every event in life,” the Dalai Lama said, “there are many different angles. When you look at the same event from a wider perspective, your sense of worry and anxiety reduces and you have greater joy.”
A cold, rainy day can be viewed as miserable and depressing. Or, it can be a perfect opportunity to catch up on laundry, a great book next to a fire, or day to slow everything down and find space for reflection.
A divorce can be a hostile relationship full of blame, fighting, and trying to get kids to choose sides. Or, it can be a chance to understand what you really want and don’t want out of a romantic relationship, an opportunity to build a better team of 4 parents that can give your children more love than if it were just the two of you, and an ongoing bond with a person who was part of your history, your growth period, and your life when you did love and care for them.
And, death can make us feel lonely, helpless, and angry. But, it can also help us find new meaning as we adopt the responsibility to honor that person and continue their legacy through our own lives. It’s a time when we can abandon their unattractive qualities, and just remember all of their greatness. And, a time when we can carry their spirit around with us every second of the day, instead of only when they are physically sitting next to us.
Viewing life with a “wide angle” doesn’t mean just seeing things in a positive way. It means accepting the many different angles instead of just the narrower angle of negativity that can be so limiting.