Imagine a little kid walking down the street with his family. He is happily skipping along when he steps on one of his shoe laces and face-plants on the concrete sidewalk. When he rolls over to check the damage, he notices scrapes on both of his kneecaps. At the first sight of blood, he is startled and proceeds to cry. The father barely flinches as all of this happens. Noticing that his son is distressed, he calmly picks him up and tries to convince him that everything is going to be ok. Why do you think that two different people reacted differently to the same situation? They had different perspectives.
All around the world, the same situation and experiences happen to an assortment of people. What sets each one apart is how they react and respond to it. Although the same, each situation is ultimately different due to how that person looks at it through their own eyes. Perspective is everything. It's the difference between a tree viewed as a skyscraper or just another backyard element. It's what decides whether $100 is a lot of money or not. It influences what is or isn't important to you in life.
If you grew up with nothing in life and had to earn everything that you have, you would value different things than someone who was given everything. Money would probably matter to you more than that other person because you grew up to view life as a time to work hard for the things you wanted. You would hold those things higher than they would. Someone who had curly hair would envy straight hair because they don't know what it's like to have it, and vice versa. Adults value quiet time more than kids because they have had the experience of dealing with a loud and crazy world for a lot longer. Someone who has lived for a long time might value the small amount of time left or even wish for more, whereas kids and teens can't wait to grow up and wish their life away. It all depends on perspective.
Your perspective, in a way, defines you. How you look at the world through those two hole sockets of yours dictates how you go through everyday. It decides what your political views are. It decides what world problems you care about (if you do). It influences what you deem as good or bad. Make sure that you use it for good. Use it to share experiences and diversity through conversations and interactions. Take time to understand others' as well because it ultimately helps expand yours.
