The Three Most Important Words in Personal Transformation

#ThoughtHealing Quote for the Week: “It’s not only moving that creates new starting points. Sometimes all it takes is a subtle shift in perspective, an opening of the mind, an intentional pause and reset, or a new route to start to see new options and new possibilities.” Kristin Armstrong

We all know that the three most important words in real estate are location, location, location. In my experience as a personal transformation coach, I have learned that when we decide to embark on radically redesigning ourselves and our place in the world, the three most important words are perception, perception, perception. And why? Because you can change the quality of your life by changing the context in which you see your circumstances.

Change your perception, change your life. It’s that simple.

So, how might subtle shifts in perspective allow you to transform your life?

In my Personal Transformation coaching practice, one of the things I help people with is learning how to successfully cope with the events that make up their lives. Everything from the unforeseen, like divorce, loss of a job, or terminal illness, to the inevitable, like death and, for most of us, taxes.

And, the most important component of successfully coping with any life event is learning how to change your perception of the event. No matter what happens, you can choose how to perceive the events that make up your life. And it is the power of choice that makes life endurable, worthwhile, joyful, just plain manageable – or spectacular.

And here’s why I know this to be true.

From 2002 to 2012, I shared my life with the four-legged love of my life, a Czechoslovakian Shepherd named Kona. He meant everything to me, and I couldn’t imagine my life without him.

However, in 2006, Kona was diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition. Life expectancy rates for dogs with Kona’s condition were bleak at best; one vet told me that the longest any of his patients lived after the diagnosis was three weeks. He warned me that the only chance Kona had of surviving at all was to keep him quiet, avoiding exercise and excitement. He even walked me through what to do if Kona had a sudden heart attack while we’re out walking or just playing outside, which was apparently how most of the dogs with this condition died.

To say I was devastated doesn’t come close to describing how I felt. Needless to say, I barely heard a word that the vet was telling me, and I cried for two days.

And then I decided to change how I would perceive this awful, unthinkable news.

I realized I had a choice. I could either choose to let it negatively impact every remaining moment I had with Kona – I could lock him in the house, never take him for a walk again, never let him chase birds or rabbits, never leave him alone for a single moment “just in case.” 

Or, I could choose to see this as a blessing and be grateful for every moment I was going to have with him. We could go on as we did before, chasing lots of rabbits (knowing he could never catch them, thank heavens!), taking long walks – aware of the possible consequences but living our lives to the fullest. And we did, not just for three short weeks but, miraculously, for four more spectacular years!

Which is not to say that I didn’t have to face my fears and deal with Kona’s condition realistically for however much time we had left together.

But once I changed my perception of this event, I found that I was able to think about the unthinkable: going on with my life without Kona in my life.

Deanne Repich said, “Genuine control is not about predicting the future—my grade, my income, my relationships, or a thousand other things. It’s knowing that whatever happens, I can choose how to perceive and react to life’s events.”

If there is one thought that I want you to leave here with today, it’s this: The most important thing to keep in mind is that perception is a matter of choice. You have a choice. You can either approach your the events that make up your life with dread, fear, negativism, or apprehension. Or, you can see those events as an opportunity to learn from the experience without being emotionally crushed by the knowledge.

Deanne Repich also said this, “Genuine control does not mean controlling all of life’s events. It means interpreting life’s events in a way that promotes my growth, happiness, and well-being.”

You have a choice every day regarding the perceptions you will embrace for that day. You cannot change the inevitable, the unexpected, or the unthinkable. But you CAN change how you approach and deal with anything that might throw you off course. And I promise you that you will survive and thrive!

Think about it!

Want to know more about transforming limited thoughts and beliefs into limitless possibilities? Check out my Examine–Envision–Emerge Personal Transformation Book Series. Each book explores a particular aspect of thought healing. Find yours online at your favorite retailer today!