Through Another’s Lens.
Hi There,
Some good friends joined me at our Farmers Market here in Putnam County the day before Easter, introducing their three-year-old daughter to this wholesome Saturday tradition.
When they first reached out, I felt compelled to level set their expectations. After all, these folks are former NYC dwellers, and had the Union Square Farmers Market as their baseline. Ours is tiny in comparison. Plus, being early spring, the produce offerings were not at their most impressive. My friends assured me that this scaled down version would be ideal.
Well, I found myself pleasantly surprised when I arrived at Boscobel, home to the market, on that sunny Saturday morning. It was absolutely gorgeous! The daffodils were in bloom, frivolously frolicking in the grass beyond the market stands. It was busier and more social than usual, signaling a collective relief that winter was over.
I walked the grounds waiting for my friends, and appreciated how everything just popped. The colors were becoming more saturated, and the aromas more inviting, putting the people into a friendly mood.
Then I wondered, “Is this all true?" Or was I was seeing the venue through the eyes of first-timers, creating the illusion that everything looked extra inviting?
It brought me back to a time a couple of decades ago when two friends came, a week apart, to visit me in NYC. The first was Richard, who did not enjoy anything about the city, as he complained of the smell, the litter, the rude people, the traffic, and the construction noises. Within hours, my own senses became offended as well— by the city I’d loved for years.
The following week, my dear friend April Joy showed up, and every aspect of the city seemed charming, friendly, interesting, and attractive again. To this day, I think to myself, “Thank goodness April Joy came after Richard and not before", for it was through her eyes that I remembered how special NYC truly is.
Returning to the present, I recognize the wisdom in actively and intentionally remembering to look at a situation through others’ lenses. After all, our #1 blindspot as humans is that we believe everyone else sees the world through our eyes.
When we can put ourselves into another’s position, and see the world through their eyes, we are able to listen more deeply, stand under their reality more organically, and be more compassionate to their situation. This is how I want to see the world.
How about you?
Cheers!
-Deborah
Deborah Goldstein
DRIVEN Professionals / Forbes / Linkedin
info@drivenpros.com | LinkedIn
DRIVEN Professionals, 35 Adrienne Lane, Garrison, NY 10524