“Men are disturbed not by the things that happen, but by their opinion of the things that happen.”

– Epictetus

Aloha,

If you are reading this, I wish we could be sharing this blissful moment together. I write from the beauty of my home, on my deck, barefoot. The wind blows, birds sing, and the rolling green hills down to the sea delight all my senses. Filled with joy, and abundance flowing, I am present.

Why Perspective Matters

How you look at the world around you matters. The lenses through which we view what’s happening determine our perspective. Let me give you an example. Let’s say you got called into your boss’s office today and found out you are being laid off. You can look at it as a big setback and a minor catastrophe. Or you can look at it as an opportunity to find a better position, make that move across the country for a fresh start in a lower cost of living area, or as the push you needed to finally take that side-hustle and turn it into a full-time business. It all depends on your perspective and that perspective has a huge influence on your attitude.

That was a huge, potentially life-changing example. That’s not the only time perspective matters. It can also shape your everyday life. It makes a difference in all the little things. For example, if you wake up at four in the morning, you can decide to lie in the bed, getting aggravated that you can’t go back to sleep. Or you can choose to get up and use those few quiet morning hours to do something you love to do but rarely make time for like reading a book. Or you can use the time to get a head start on a few household chores. You’ll encounter these small little things and potential obstacles all day long. By changing your perspective, you decide to embrace them and live a happier and more fulfilled life. Or not. Let’s look a little closer at why perspective matters.

Your Perspective Influences Your Attitude

How you look at a situation greatly influences your attitude. Is it a blessing or a curse? Is it one more thing you need to take care of, or is it an opportunity to spend quality time with a loved one? It makes a difference and that’s a good thing. That means it is in your power to change your attitude and not just by “thinking positive thoughts”. Changing your perspective is something you can actively work on. It’s hard at first, but like so many other things in life, it gets easier with practice. Before you know it, changing your perspective to tap into the attitude you want to cultivate becomes second nature.

Your Perspective Can Show You New Paths

Can you think of a time when you thought all hope was lost and you were stuck, only to have a conversation with someone who showed you a different way? Maybe you thought there was no way out of your mounting credit card debt until you spoke to a financial advisor. Or maybe you thought you couldn’t qualify for a mortgage loan until you went to the bank and learned about a type of loan perfect for you. Or maybe you thought you were stuck in your job because of health insurance until you had a conversation with an entrepreneur who pays for their own. You get the idea.

Again, those are the big shifts in perspective. When you’re open to a shift in perspective, you can see new paths and new ways of doing things as you go about your normal day. If you open yourself up to the idea of listening to audiobooks instead of your favorite playlist as you commute back and forth to your day job, there’s no limit to the new things you can learn by taking advantage of that chunk of time. By replacing a few store-bought foods with healthier homemade versions, you can lose weight, improve your health, and discover more energy. Heck, little things like a new hack for peeling hard-boiled eggs or cloves of garlic can change the way you cook and make a tedious job quick and easy. By opening yourself up to those new perspectives, you can start to see new ways to do things. Don’t miss those paths and opportunities.

Regenerative Perspective

With all life’s complexities, when we focus on the good, it will grow. Each of us can be part of the regenerative process to heal ourselves and our world. We have the power and choice to change. There is no reason we can’t earn a living and be true to our values at the same time. When we are part of the Soulution and not the pollution, we are living like the future matters.

“Love yields the highest return. It keeps us joyful, vibrant, and prosperous.

Success comes when we know: who we are, and what we love to do and we have purposeful ‘why’.”

Be Part of the Soulution: With reverence, cultivate a life that prioritizes restoring the Earth and caring for one’s self and others. Support endeavors that are focused on regenerative Soulutions. Be a mindful and active citizen — a soulful light in the world. Give more, take less. What we appreciate, appreciate.

Speaking of regenerative SOULutions and shifting perspectives,

you don’t want to miss this week's special guest on A Dose of Positivity! 🌈

🥰 A Dose of Positivity

Join us for a weekly uplifting discussion every Thursday at 1 pm Hawaii time, 4 pm PST, 7 pm EST.

This week, we'll talk about food sovereignty now and why it matters. 🥦🥕🥥

Dashiell (Dash) Kuhr, founder and director of Hawai'i Institute of Pacific Agriculture (HIP Agriculture), is the lead facilitator for the organization, and personally dedicated to the restoration of human and environmental health.

Dash has educated and mentored hundreds of youth and young adults on the benefits of healthy eating and hands-on gardening skills. Working with non-profit organizations, food cooperatives and farms, Dash has lead and developed numerous gardening and sustainability initiatives.

Dash apprenticed under master permaculture designer Tom Baldwin (who studied directly with Bill Mollison, Geoff Laton, and Bullock brothers) for three years, as a farm manager, managing one of the most diverse and well designed permaculture farms on Hawaii Island. He received his Permaculture Design Certificate from Geoff Lawton and attended a Permaculture Convergence at Uluwehi Farm and Nursery.

Currently, Dash leads Living Farm Internship courses and youth program development at HIP Agriculture, while also conducting professional permaculture design work and installations. Current projects included installation of 60 dwarf coconuts and 300 bananas in polyculture systems and permaculture design for a 120 acre food production and reforestation project at Inhabit Hawai’i.

Rooted in North Kohala, Hawai'i, Dash is dedicated to creating a post-carbon civilization that is able to thrive while reforesting and revitalizing the landscape. Dash is thoroughly committed to youth and ensuring they have access to fresh food and land, food sovereignty, Earth justice, and a localized economy that creates peaceful and happy communities.

Dash, with his wife Erika and three beautiful children Cyrus, Jyoti and Kumari are advocates of healthy eating, exercise, and Ayurvedic medicine. He enjoys gardening, swimming, surfing, yoga, and family time.

Check out their website: https://www.hipagriculture.org

Here's the Zoom link: https://bit.ly/3HlyUfj

See you soon! 💕

Are you a change maker, thought leader, or health and wellness professional? I would love to interview you in one of our episodes! 🌈

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Shifting Perspective