Perspective Is Hard. Here's Proof.

My WOW moment. Belize, Jan 2026

No matter how hard we try, seeing things differently is harder than it sounds.

I know because I actually did it — and still almost lost the view.

Over New Year's, my family and I went to Belize. I took the opportunity to do yoga on the pier at the end of the beach. And in that moment, upside down, I noticed something incredible.

The water was at the top of my view. The sky was at the bottom. And it was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. I grabbed my phone and captured it exactly as I saw it.

Later, I went to show my family — and it wasn't there. Google had "corrected" my photo to be right side up. Seriously?! That upside-down view was the point. It was the most beautiful part. And an algorithm decided it was a mistake to be fixed.

It made me think, how often do we do the same thing to ourselves? We catch a glimpse of something differently — a situation, a relationship, a path forward — and before we can even sit with it, something "corrects" us. A colleague. A habit. Our own inner voice. Back to right side up. Back to normal. Back to what's expected.

Shifting perspective isn't just hard because the world is complex. It's hard because the systems around us — and inside us — are constantly working to put things back the way they were.

So what does it actually take to see things differently? A few things I've learned:

1. You have to get still first. The upside-down view only appeared because I was on that pier, in practice, away from the noise. Most genuine perspective shifts don't happen in the middle of the chaos. They happen in the margins.

2. Capture it before it gets corrected. Write it down. Say it out loud. Tell someone. The algorithm — whether it's Google, social pressure, or your own self-doubt — works fast.

3. Ask yourself: what is this view showing me that the usual view can't? An inverted photo isn't wrong. It's different information. And sometimes, it's the most important information you have.

Google has since given me the option to restore my original photo. I did, immediately.

Water on top. Sky on the bottom. Exactly as I saw it. I use this photo across all of my materials because it's such a powerful reminder: think differently and work hard to create the life you want - not one that others have mapped out for you. 🩵

What's a view you've been holding that deserves protection — not correction?