Twin Perspectives: Story and Reflection

One day a few of years ago, my husband and I started watching Medici - the historical Netflix series set in medieval Italy. The two main brothers looked so much alike during those first two episodes. I kept getting so confused.

After asking Mark for the 6th time which brother was speaking, he finally asked how in the world I couldn't tell them apart. "Well, they're practically twins." I responded.

He looked at me, thought for a moment, and said, "Where are your glasses?"

Hmmm. I got up from the sofa, found my glasses, put them on and...

Voila! The brothers looked quite different!

This applies to life in so many ways. Depending on what lens we are looking through, we can lose clarity and get confused.  We can be overly zoomed-in on circumstances to exaggerate the situation.

Whether it's lenses of negativity, judgment (self- or others-directed), or anticipatory dread, things become blurry or blown-out of proportion.

When we zoom out and look at the big picture and see the long game, speak, it's helpful.

Reflection: When you're feeling overwhelmed, confused, or defeated - notice what lens you're looking through at the situation. What happens if you zoom out a bit, remember your strengths, values, and resources, and look through the lens of acceptance and determination? Of doing the next best thing? Of courage and patience? Of humility and kindness? Which lens will serve you better to see the long game while staying present and see a more balanced story?

I still sometimes neglect to wear my glasses while watching Netflix. However, I'm quicker to remember them when I realize I'm getting lost in the characters' storylines.