Alternate POV

Remember that to change your mind and to accept corrections are free acts too.

One of the things I love about Substack is everyone’s willingness to look at things from other’s point-of-view. Not everyone seems to be stuck in the mud of singular opinion or perspective.

My views on a lot of things have changed over the years, hell maybe on pretty much everything! Isn’t that growth? Isn’t that what we are supposed to do?

“Remember that to change your mind and to accept corrections are free acts too. The action is yours, based on your own will, your own decision—and your own mind.” -Marcus Aurelius

We are constantly learning, whether actively or inactively. We are constantly evolving, whether we want to or not—we don’t have a choice in the matter.

“No man ever steps in the same river twice—for it’s not the same river, and he’s not the same man.” -Heraclitus

A river is like life in the sense that it is always changing, always in flux. And also in the sense that if you try to fight against the current, it will drown you. Rivers can carve though the hardest rock, or sweep away an entire village leaving nothing behind once the water recedes.(And keep in mind that the water will eventually recede…)

We cannot fight the current alone, we can try, but eventually it will wear us down. We need a boat, a paddle, or a motor—something to propel us forward against the ever raging torrents of life.

• Learning is the float that raises us from the depths.

• Growth is the raft that keeps us afloat.

• Willingness to accept change and embrace new ideas is the paddle that steadies us, and keeps us moving forward—keeping us from being swept away again and again.

• Compassion and Understanding turn that raft into a canoe, giving us a swiftness that makes the journey more pleasant and gratifying.

If you let them, the torrents of life can sweep you away at any time. Don’t think so? Drop your guard for just a moment, when you reappear on the surface you’ll likely find yourself swept far from the safety of the place where you went under—even when we're paying attention, we will still face storms that seem like they might never end.

• So we must continue to be vigilant and practice daily.

• We must continue to be open to new ideas and opinions.

• And to do that we must continue to study and learn—and we must be willing to change our POV, when we can clearly see better from another angle.

After all—would you continue to look through a cloudy, dirty window if there was a clean, clear window right next to it?

The saying ignorance is bliss, could be one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard—Ignorance is not bliss. And conscious ignorance, is nothing more than wallowing in the quagmire of denial.

We can’t be afraid to change our minds—we must be willing to change our POV if a better one presents itself.

Change isn’t scary, it’s life—everything we have and love, every moment is brought by change.

If we embrace change, and allow ourselves the freedom to change our POV—then we can not only navigate this life easier, but also pull others from the murky waters onto the surface with us. And in turn, they will be there to lift us back up when we falter and slip back into the water ourselves…

“Why should anyone be afraid of change? What can take place without it? What can be more pleasing or more suitable to universal nature? Can you take your bath without the firewood undergoing a change? Can you eat without the food undergoing a change? And can anything useful be done without change? Don't you see that for you to change is just the same, and is equally necessary for universal nature?” -Marcus Aurelius

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it and clicking that ❤ button, and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Also if you get a moment, checkout this poem from Meredith Forder that was part of the inspiration for this essay—titled A Dignified Human, “It’s a poem about the peace that follows noble choices.”

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Did you see these three micros I wrote on perspective?