Shifting Perspectives: Balancing Mind and Soul

There are about 8 billion people living on Earth. Each and every one of us has lived this day differently. Each of us has thought different thoughts. Every one of us holds a unique perspective on the world. Part of my journey was finding my perspective, or rather, shifting it.

There are three parts of a human: mind, body, and soul. I found that perspective comes from one of two, mind or soul. The mind is your lens on the world through your eyes, whereas the soul is the lens through your heart. These lenses shape how you view the world, and both contribute to a greater understanding of life.

Your mind is always dwelling on the past, trying to look for what’s missing. This is what makes it greedy, constantly searching for something that could have made a good situation better. This, in turn, removes your ability to find happiness or contentment in the moment. For example, think about a vacation or party. People tend to sneak in pessimism, saying things like, “It would’ve been better if…” or “I wish we did/had…” They overlook the beauty and fun of the moment overall and focus on the one thing they wanted to be better, thus drawing the happiness out of the experience. When you look at things through your mind, it tends to lead to a pessimistic, negative view of any and every situation. 

On the other hand, your soul focuses on understanding and accepting. It is the lens that recognizes everything happens for a reason, specifically the bad things. Rather than dwelling on what’s missing, your soul seeks peace and calm in your life. This lens also connects to the belief that with hardship comes ease. In many moments, I’ve felt like I hit rock bottom, convinced things could only get worse. But with time and reflection, I’ve realized those hardships were temporary, and I always found my way through. 

Your reflection leads to the realization that your soul or heart accepts the good moments that come and the bad events that can follow. Life is a constant cycle of opportunities and obstacles, gains and losses, peaks and valleys, all of which mold you into the person you are meant to become. This perspective enhances your optimistic, peaceful, and accepting view of the world.

Life isn’t always going to be a path of sunshine and rainbows, but it's important to try to find the beauty in ugly situations. Learn to see the world through your heart and soul rather than your mind to embrace optimism rather than pessimism. This shift in perspective not only helped me navigate many feelings, events, and thoughts throughout my life but also taught me that times of catastrophe can be turned into opportunities for reflection, and moments of difficulty will ultimately lead to deeper gratitude. In the end, life is about finding balance between the mind and the soul, and choosing to view the world through the lens of your heart opens the door to a more peaceful, grateful existence.