Perspective - How Tiny Transformations can have Enormous Impacts

Transformation - Is it a word reserved for milestone accomplishments that take enormous amounts of time and energy? It's true that my blog posts and e-mails often share testimonials and stories of the shrunken waistlines and stretched beliefs of those that have worked hard over time, but today I want to focus on one, simple transformation that can take place in just an instant. I want to talk about the power to transform your perspective.

We are all familiar with the word perspective. It's your point of view, how you perceive things, the meaning of an experience. We form our own personal perspectives on everything that we come across on a daily basis. And while we form these perspectives quite easily, are they always right? Do they serve us well? Are they ever challenged? If they aren't, why not?

The thought of sharing this with you today came to me just as I was concluding my morning camp this morning. The rain once again forced us down into the lower level of the parking garage for cover (an area lovingly known as the "dungeon"). This entire week has been damp, and the "dungeon" workouts really can be a test of one's will and grit.

As I recalled the efforts of this morning's class and the evening class the night before, the question hit me - How do my campers perceive this situation? What is there point of view? What meaning does this situation have to them?

Of course they could have been focused on being in the crummy ole garage again or how the rain just won't come to an end. I really don't know how they perceived the situation quite honestly, but I know what I saw. I saw grit, determination, and commitment in them, and I hope that they used this situation to recognize those as well.

You see, that's just it. We are faced with so many different situations in a day and there are so many different ways to perceive them. So often we just let the default program run in the background, and we never really take the opportunity to think about how our perceptions affect everything from our attitudes to how the day ends up. But what if we chose how we viewed things? On a more personal level, what if YOU chose how you viewed things?

Instead of looking at the rain as a nuisance, you looked at it as an opportunity to recognize your commitment to exercising or to spend a few hours playing board games with your kids?

Instead of feeling as if you failed at your last diet, you looked at it as a learning experience of areas you can still work on. You could even change your focus from, "I only lasted a week," to, "I proved that I can do a week."

How about in moments when the boss doesn't appreciate your work, or the jerk in front of you just cut you off? How different would your attitude and your day be if you chose to recognize these situations as an opportunity to prove that you have patience with people instead of getting angry? Pretty different. Right?

When we talk about our power to transform, it really does start here. Thoughts lead to actions, actions lead to habits, and habits lead to lifestyles. It's not the circumstances in your life that dictate what you get; it's your perception of them. So how will you perceive them? Will you choose to let the default program run, or will you look for a better meaning and one that serves you in the situation? It's your choice.

You truly do have the power to make these tiny transformationson a daily basis. And while they do have the illusion of being tiny, they will will have an enormous impact on the actions you take, the habits you make, and the lifestyle that comes along with them. At least, that's my perspective.

Rooting you on,

Mike Thornton

P.S. Dallas camp - 8 spots left for morning and 7 for evening.

P.P.S. White Rock camp - save $10 by enrolling before tomorrow!

To enroll - http://www.TransformationBootCamp.com