Everyday Canvas

It's All in the Perspective

Prompt:
“Mountains look big from the ground, but from eagle’s eyes, they’re stepping stones.”
What is your take on this quote, and on the average, how do you notice and assess hardships?

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Oh, the power of perspective! It's not only when we look at things but how we see them. In other words, our views do shape our approach to challenges.

Who never had a problem, an obstacle, or a disappointment in life? Even tiny babies do, and we all do, since we live in a world much less than perfect.

As to the image in the quote, an eagle is a creature with exceptional eyesight and the ability to soar at great heights. That's how an eagle sees mountains as mere stepping stones.

Then, above all its abilities and fearlessness, how I envy the eagle's eyesight! What about soaring at great heights, then? Well, great heights or on-the-outside successes were never all that important to me. Also, should something go wrong, falling from a great height would be not only be possible but also disastrous. Chicken that I am!

Yet, a good eagle views mountains not as obstacles but as features of its domain. This is what I would call a very broad vision. Adapt it to our lives, it means viewing negatives and challenges as opportunities for growth and progress.

For growth and progress, since the eagle symbolizes strength, freedom and high aspirations, hopes, and goals. Viewing mountains as stepping stones implies a sense of empowerment and the ability to rise above difficulties. This has to do with adaptability and resilience. That is, resilience for thriving in any environment or situation. Just think of the World War II death-camp survivors and how most kept on suffering afterwards; but then, several became tougher and better people later and did good things for humanity. Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning comes to mind, for example.

As for me, I think I'm more resilient than most. In the beginning of a difficult situation, however, I used to panic easily in my earlier years. I guess, in the long run, life toughened me up a bit. The "Why me?" lament or "OMG! What do I do now" panic still may hit once in a while. But looking at me from the outside, no one can notice my fears anymore.

All in all, I'm glad to say that life taught me, somewhat, to hold back the panic. Now I find that, once the panic is eased, I can handle just about any situation. So now, when it comes down to it, viewing huge disappointments, challenges, and sorrows as being my life journey's inevitable steps helps me to handle them well enough and also make some progress in my adaptation to living.