What Is Your Perspective?

            One definition of perspective is a point of view or attitude, the way we look at something. A good perspective of the current quarantine could make all the difference in how we deal with it. We can look at the forced togetherness at home as something terrible, or we can look at it as an opportunity to spend time with our loved ones in strengthening our relationships. It is up to us how we look at it.


            President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008) always had a positive attitude. He had a cheerful smile and wonderful sense of humor. His spirit was invincible, and he always looked on the bright side of things. He was known to say, “It isn’t as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don’t worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out.” Even though he faced adversity and discouragement at times, he was optimistic and happy.


            When days are dark and times are hard, it is easy be discouraged and downtrodden. However, we can choose to think about our blessings instead of our difficulties, and the day will not seem so dark and dreary. I have seen the following information numerous times, but I ran across it again this morning.

IF you have food in your fridge, clothes on our back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75 percent of the world.

IF you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million people who will not survive this week.

IF you have never experienced the danger of battle, the agony of imprisonment or torture or the horrible pangs of starvation, you are luckier than 500 million people alive and suffering.

IF you can read this message, you are more fortunate than 3 billion people in the world who cannot read at all (Canadian Red Cross Brochure, as cited in LDS Church News, May 14, 2017).

            We can look at our glass and see it as half-full or half-empty. It is up to us to determine whether we will be positive or negative about life. Boyd Matheson, an opinion editor at the Deseret News, wrote about the prevailing attitude about the pandemic and its effects on society and the economy. He agreed the novel coronavirus and recent natural disasters have changed many things. Schools are closed as well as bars and restaurants that are open for pickup and delivery. We have no sporting events, concerts, movies, church services, or other large gatherings. We are counseled to stay at least six feet away from everyone that does not live in our household. People are saying that this is the “new normal,” but Matheson does not agree.


            Matheson calls this time a “new now.” We are enduring a serious situation and have made many changes in our daily routines, but Matheson says that thinking of this as the “new now” is the “right and proper way to minimize the angst, stress and fear of it all.”


            All of us are uncertain about what the future will bring, and the wrong perspective can bring uncertainty and anxiety, particularly if we think that the “new normal” will continue forever. “If you buy into that thinking, you are much more likely to panic than prepare, react rather than respond, and be driven by fear rather than faith.”


            Matheson reminded his readers that storms do not last forever. Even the fiercest wind and the heaviest rain eventually stop, and the sun comes out. People adjust to the “new now” and move forward with their lives. Matheson closed his article with these words. He spoke on the same topic for a podcast found here. 

Living in the “new now” puts us in control of our emotions and ensures we focus on the things we can do today. It is difficult to rally to a perpetual “new normal,” but people can wrap their heads around the idea of rallying to take on a “new now.”

Yes, school will restart, healthy communities will be restored, restaurants will return, sporting events with big crowds will thankfully arise. High school dances, international travel, religious gatherings, high-fives and big hugs will all resume.

While suffering will be present in what feels like a dark and discouraging national and international moment, a magnificent forward-moving morning of stillness and newfound strength will follow, bringing with it yet another “new now” for all of us to embrace.

            I like Matheson’s idea of a “new now” rather than a “new normal.” It shows me that he is optimistic and positive. It tells me that he likes to look at the bright side of things rather than the dark side. I am an optimist, and I believe that God is an optimist. It seems to me that He can take anything bad and turn it into something good. (An example is that of Joseph being sold into Egypt where he became second in command of the nation and prepared to save his father and all his posterity during a time of severe famine.) I am anxious to see what God is making out of this pandemic, and I trust that it will be wonderful.