Getting Perspective
Perspective is everything. Physically, mentally, emotionally. The more angles you have the better you can calibrate your understanding of things. It is why I enjoy asking people questions, running up mountains, traveling, reading, and just being a curious and adventurous human. Just like the views of a town look different from the valley than they do from the mountain summit, the same is true of hearing different authors write about the same ideas - both perspectives together help in understanding the space, subject, or concept, more fully.
I have to confess, I’m a quiet, contemplative type. I’d rather listen and observe than put my own voice out there to be heard. Speaking out feels risky and vulnerable, while listening, asking, and observing feels much safer to me. Perhaps I was always wired this way, or it is something that has evolved through years of being a student and therapist. I suspect a little bit of both to be true.
Despite my quiet nature, I believe there is also great value in speaking out and putting a voice to thoughts, beliefs, views, opinions and truths. The people I listen to and respect the most are ones that have a sense of curiosity and openness about the world, for they are the ones that see and hear things that enable them to gain insight that is much more robust. A well-researched, informed perspective is much different than an ignorant opinion - the former helps give a better understanding of the state of things, while the latter detracts from true understanding and can cause confusion and harm. It’s ironic that the informed perspective is often expressed in a more subtle manner (buried in academic journals, for example), while the ignorant opinion can be expressed in mediums with less barriers to entry and in a form that is often more overt, loud, accessible, and entertaining (such as social media platforms that don’t require any outside editing but are designed to be addictive). An opinion expressed more passionately on an “easier-to-access” medium doesn’t make it more true, but it can, unfortunately, make it more believable.
It is my intention to use this blog as a platform to share my ideas, knowledge and opinions, and while they are always evolving, my hope is that you will read with some confidence in knowing that I strive to have an informed perspective, and that you will take this as one point of calibration in finding and expressing your own understanding of things. I look forward to sharing with you.
Today’s Resource:
With each blog post I will share a resource that others may find interesting and informative.
One of my favourite podcasts is Huberman Lab (if you don’t listen to it then I encourage you to check it out, you will find great practical science-based strategies for better living by Dr. Andrew Huberman, a Stanford University Neurobiology professor). Today’s resource is care of Dr. Huberman.
The Physiological Sigh
This is a portable and efficient way to manage and reduce anxiety and stress. It is a pattern of breathing that involves two shorter inhales, followed by an extended exhale. This breathing pattern occurs spontaneously in sleep, when C02 levels get too high, however it can also be done deliberately at any point in time in order to quickly calm down. Engaging in it once, twice, or three times is sufficient to activate your parasympathetic (“calm”) nervous system response. See the diagram below, and watch this short instructional video from Dr. Huberman.
