Multi-paned Window

Travelling to another country —Scotland in my case— can offer an invitation to see the world from a different perspective. I took this photo from inside a 17th century church, looking out over fields, farms and the sky. As I was going through the photos I took that day, I was drawn to this image of the multi-paned window.

Each pane offers a different view. Together, they reveal a bigger picture.

Looking at it, I realised that we all experience the world in much the same way. Most of us spend our lives looking through just one pane, rarely realising that we can step sideways and look through another.

Our personal perspective is shaped by our thoughts, beliefs, cultural imprints and personal experiences. It influences what we see through the window. Through my perspective, I don’t experience the world in the same way that you do through yours.

You could say that you saw the sky and the fields, and I could say that I saw the tree and a little bit of the sky. We would both be right, wouldn’t we? Neither is truer than the other. Yet we judge the other person’s view so easily as untrue, and ours as true. But we all carry truth. We each have a piece of the puzzle. How beautiful and powerful would we be if, instead of dismissing the other person’s piece, we connected with everyone’s view.

I believe that if we were to build a window made up of 8.3 billion panes, and we learned to take a step back, maybe we’d get a glimpse of truth.

With this in mind, let’s practise compassion and curiosity. Instead of judging the other person —or yourself, for that matter—why not ask a question?

Sometimes the smallest shift in perspective changes everything.

If you're navigating a challenge and would like someone to help you step sideways and discover a different view, I'd love to walk alongside you. You can find out more about my coaching on my website.