A shift in perspective
March 10, 2025
Image by Dan DeAlmeida, courtesy of Unsplash.com
No aspect of this post is created using any type of AI. All mistakes are mine, a real human.
THINKING ABOUT:
I’m a TED talk coach, which means I sit at my desk and engage on a deep level with people from all over the world. Fascinating people with a growth mindset who are doing amazing things to help others. Currently I’m working with a guy from England who might be the most genuinely joyful person I’ve ever met. I didn’t realize how much I needed to be talking with someone outside the sphere of our day-to-day political muck. Working with him has been the gift I didn’t realize I craved, a breath of clean, fresh, happy air.
The kernel of his talk is hope. Isn’t that amazing?
Working with him reminded me how important it is to get a shift in perspective, whether that’s through travel, art, food, or literature. Sometimes just walking a regular route in the opposite direction can help me see things differently. Read on for three other things that helped me shift my perspective in the best possible way.
READING:
Tracks by Robyn Davidson showed up in my Little Free Library. It was originally published in 1995, with a new paperback edition to support the movie version in 2013. Davidson's solo journey across the Australian outback was sponsored by National Geographic in 1977. Think about that for just a minute. Almost 50 years ago a young woman had the bonkers idea of learning how to train camels and then walking across the Australian desert alone. She has a terrific character arc in the book: she's annoying and pretentious and very YOUNG at the beginning and pretty much loses her mind in the middle and then has life-changing insights at the end.
If you go down this rabbit hole—I assure you, it’s worth it—watch the movie (see below) and then use inter-library loan to get your hands on From Alice to Ocean, the coffee-table book featuring all the National Geographic photographs taken by legendary photographer Rick Smolan.
You'll find all of my book recommendations at my Bookshop. If you buy from this link the author makes more, an indie bookstore gets the sale, and I make a small commission. Win/Win/Win!
Here’s the Amazon link if you prefer.
WATCHING:
Tracks stars Mia Wasikowska as Robyn Davidson, some amazing camels, indigenous Aboriginal actors, and a young Adam Driver as the budding National Geographic photographer Rick Smolan. Side note: After this project Smolan went on to have an outstanding career with National Geographic, originating the “Day in the Life” series of books. Once you’ve read the book you will definitely want to see the movie. (Available free on Prime, Pluto, Tubi)
EATING:
One of the ways I stayed sane during lockdown was creating a show featuring new books that debuted during that unfortunate time. Over three seasons, The Blue and Yellow Kitchen ran for 49 episodes and featured novels, memoirs, and cookbooks. I got to meet some incredible authors and explore worlds I would have missed otherwise. Perhaps the best example of this was the show featuring Hala Alyan’s novel The Arsonist’s City. Alyan’s beautiful novel takes place in Damascus and Beirut, covers the story of three generations of a family, and culminates in them returning to their family home in Beirut after a death. This dish, makloubeh (“upside-down” in Arabic) is mentioned in one scene and would have been a common celebration dish for this fictional family. I researched the dish, searched food blogs, asked for direction from friends with family in the Middle East, and ended up making makloubeh six times before getting it right. I still make it today. This change in perspective, even when I was stuck at home, served me well.
What are some of your favorite ways to shift your perspective?
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