Sometimes it is referred to as wisdom. Sometimes it is referred to as experience. It is both of these, plus other things. It is always regarded as a valuable asset to be sought after. It is something gained through a lot of experience and comes with maturity and age…this something is Perspective.

Perspective is the lens through which we view life and the world around us. When we are young, we tend to only see things that are immediately familiar or that we have been taught. But as we age, we refocus our view to accommodate experiences that lie outside of the familiar. It is this enlargement of our view that shifts our perspective in important ways. This broader view and understanding of ourselves, others and the world around us is what makes us a more understanding person, a person more at peace with the world and more caring of others. A mature perspective is perhaps one of the most valuable things one can possess.

A mature and experienced perspective cannot be faked. It is cultivated and developed over decades and not years. It tears down unreasonable and unattainable expectations, which is a good thing if these are not grounded in reality. What it brings to us are deeper relationships, an understanding of others’ situations and struggles, a greater acceptance of ourselves and contentment with things being less than what we think they should be.

This culture seems to venerate the young above all else. Although there are aspects of youthfulness that are to be cherished, these come to us without effort and are common to all. However, it is the mature perspective, born from the experiences, the struggles and the lessons of life, that make each of us unique and uniquely valuable- that distinguishes each individual from the sea of commonness. This is a truly valuable possession.