Have you ever been looking at something and then you move to another spot and the view of what you were looking at changes?  I think in life most of us forget that there are different views available.  I could be looking at something and you could be looking at something and what we see is completely different.  Or I could be reading something and you could read the same thing and we could get something completely different from the words we read.  In life, there are different views.  It doesn’t have to be only right or wrong.  Now, I am not talking semantics here.  Is there a right way to mix chemicals so they don’t explode?  Yes.  Is there a right way to do school?  No.  Is there a right way to parent?  No.  Is there a right way to be a human?  No.  If something is not going to physically harm us (like incorrectly mixing chemicals), we need to be open to the other view.

For example, let’s say you feel like your kids are spending too much time on the computer and you tell them how you feel and that they need to get off.  They tell you that they don’t want to get off and that they are actually learning from the things they are doing. Instead of dismissing their comments because you know best, take their comments to heart and maybe make a compromise.  Find out what it is they are learning, while really listening to them and not judging what they are saying.  They feel like they are learning a lot so maybe you allow them to spend a little more time on the computer, but just not all day.  Or maybe for every extra hour they spend on the computer they have to spend 30 minutes playing outside.  These principles could apply anywhere though.  They could apply to a project at work or dealing your spouse.

Sometimes that is hard, especially if you’ve been doing something a certain way for a long time.  When presented with someone else’s view or some alternative, instead of dismissing it because you already know the ‘right’ way, take time to listen to and process the possibility of this other view or option.  Try not to personally attach to your view and get offended.  Sometimes a compromise of the two views is even better than one alone.  When we refuse to see other views and perspectives, we are really limiting our own growth.  With practice we can open ourselves up to more of the possibilities and opportunities that life has to offer.