Perspective

How can something so fickle be so powerful?

By simply altering our perception we are able to move mountains, realign planets and stop time. I know about the ‘tree falling in the forest’ bit but still stand in awe of this ability of our minds.

What triggered this chain of philosophical insight was a simple incident.

I was walking back with my groceries through a path in the middle of an open field when it started to rain (yes, I’m back in Singapore again). My first thought was to search for cover. As soon as that thought had arrived came the realization that it was futile as there wasn’t any shelter for more than a few hundred meters on either side (distances I wasn’t about to attempt running laden with 8 leters of milk and at least 6kgs of fruits and veggies all in plastic bags).

I knew that I was caught out in the middle of a flash shower and was going to get properly drenched. Leaving home a few hours earlier I had looked up at the fine sunny afternoon and turned my nose at my trusty umbrella despite knowing that this is monsoon season in a country where it rains all year round anyway. I softly swore at myself for being so obtuse.

As the first light drizzle enveloped me my mood surprisingly turned positive. The rain felt good on my straining arms and the cool drops quickly steamed off my hot head uplifting my spirits. As the breeze began to dance around me I quietly thanked mother nature for paying such close attention to my needs.

All this happened in a span of a few seconds (fast enough for me to notice) and that’s what got me to start thinking about perspective and the impact it has on my outlook.

Note for those concerned; my groceries were in plastic bags and nothing was water soluble anyway