Changing Your Point of View

In aikido, my Sensei stresses the importance of positive mind. In my qi gong studies, I have learned many breathing exercises for replacing negative emotions with positive emotions. There is a strong emphasis in the work of Tom Crum upon positive energy and power. So, I was delighted when someone recently shared an article from October’s Harvard Business Review that related to this theme. The article by Schwartz and McCarthy is entitled, Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time. (reprints)
What caught my eye was a series of questions designed to cultivate the positive in a conflict situation. Schwartz and McCarthy use a metaphor of changing a ‘lens’ to view the situation. Here are the three lenses that they suggest trying when you are in a difficult situation with someone.

1. Reverse lens: “What would the other person in this conflict say, and how might he be right?”
2. Long lens: “How will I likely view this situation in six months?”
3. Wide lens: “How can I grow and learn from this situation?”