You are more powerful than you think. (When You're Feeling Low, Shift the Lens: How to Use Perspective to Liberate Your Mind)

There are moments in life when everything feels heavy. You lose clarity. Your emotions take the wheel. And suddenly, you're trapped in a version of the world that feels colder, smaller, and more hopeless than it really is.

In those moments, it's tempting to think something out there must change: your job, your relationship, the way people treat you. But here’s a radical truth:

The fastest way to change your experience is to change how you're seeing it.

The Power of Perspective

Every day, we interpret life through the lens of our current mood, memories, and mindset. But here’s the catch:

When you’re stuck, your lens gets distorted.When you’re hurt, it gets darker.When you’re anxious, it zooms in on threats.When you’re low, it filters for what’s missing.

Psychologists call this cognitive filtering—your brain unconsciously narrows your focus to match your emotional state. That’s why low moods create more low thoughts, and one bad hour can turn into a bad day.

But here’s the good news: You are not the lens. You are the person holding it.

And you can change it.

Why Perspective Matters

We all live life from the inside out—seeing the world from behind our own eyes. That’s natural. But the danger arises when we start believing that our current lens is the only lens. Especially when we’re down—disappointed, rejected, overwhelmed—we zoom in so tight on the problem that we lose all sense of options.

When you're in a dark place, your thoughts echo the same message:

• “This is bad.”

• “I’m stuck.”

• “Nothing’s working.”

But what if you could break that echo?

Perspective is the switch.

The ROAR Way to Shift Your Lens

Inside the Plan Be system, we use a self-coaching method called ROAR: Reflect, Observe, Analyse, Respond or React. It’s your emotional CPR, especially when life knocks the wind out of you.

In low moments, ROAR helps you:

1. Reflect: Name the emotion. Be honest. (“I feel hurt, angry, left out.”)

2. Observe: Notice your internal narrative. Are you catastrophizing? Generalizing?

3. Analyse: Ask: Is there another way to see this? Could someone else interpret this differently?

4. React: Choose a proactive response, not a reactive one. Embody the person you want to become.

But here’s the secret sauce: Changing your perspective is the fastest shortcut from pain to power.

Three Ways to Change Your Perspective and Reclaim Your Power

1. Step into Someone Else’s Shoes

Imagine a wise friend, mentor, or future version of yourself watching you right now. What advice would they give? How would they interpret your situation?

You’ll be shocked how much clarity you gain by stepping outside of your default identity.

2. Activate Your Inner Archetype

You don’t just have one “self.” Inside you live many archetypes—The Warrior who stands tall. The Lover who nurtures connection.The Wizard who sees patterns and solutions.The Queen or King who makes decisions with poise and power.

Ask: Which of these selves is best equipped to handle this moment? Then channel them. Their viewpoint often brings peace, purpose, or action.

3. Flip the Approval Script

Many of us, especially in the younger generation, are trapped in a silent performance: Trying to look good enough to earn approval.

But that’s a trap.

You don’t need to wait for a like, a comment, or a compliment. The perspective shift ? Start approving of yourself.

When you validate your own worth, your self-esteem becomes bulletproof. You radiate confidence, not from ego, but from deep contentment.

Let’s Get Practical: A Simple Exercise

The next time you’re stuck, try this:

Step 1: Journal the situation. Write down how you feel and why.

Step 2: Ask: “How would my mentor/future self/inner King respond?” Write the answer in a different colour.

Step 3: Choose your next step based on that new lens.Act from strength, not fear.

Repeat this anytime your mind spirals into doubt or stress.

The Takeaway: Feeling Great Starts Inside

Life won’t always be smooth. But your mood doesn’t have to depend on your circumstances.

By shifting your viewpoint—even slightly—you open up space for solutions, healing, and strength. You stop reacting. You start responding. And you become the author of your state, your emotions, and your outcomes.

So next time you’re low, don’t just try to fix the world.

Change the lens. Change the story. Change your life.

The Lens Shift Practice

A 5-Step Framework to Regain Clarity and Calm in 5–10 Minutes

This is a repeatable exercise you can do anytime you feel emotionally hijacked, reactive, or stuck in a negative loop. It’s designed to help you pause, reflect, shift, and respond with clarity.

Step 1: Pause the Spiral (30 seconds)

Stop everything. Close your eyes . Take three long, deep breaths. Put your hand on your chest if you want physical grounding.

Interrupt the momentum. Break the loop.

Step 2: Name What You’re Feeling (1 minute)

Say it out loud or write it down:

“I’m feeling because .”

Don’t judge. Just name it. Labelling emotions reduces their grip. This is called affect labelling in neuroscience, and it activates the rational parts of the brain (prefrontal cortex).

Step 3: Ask One of These Perspective-Shifting Questions (2–3 minutes)

Choose one:

• “What else could be true about this situation?”

• “What would my wiser, calmer self say to me right now?”

• “If my best friend were in this situation, what would I tell them?”

• “What part of me is speaking right now—and who else could I activate?”

Write or think through your answers. This activates cognitive reappraisal, helping you reinterpret the meaning of the moment.

Step 4: Choose a New Lens (1 minute)

Pick the lens that would serve you best right now:

• The Leader: makes empowered choices

• The Healer: shows compassion, lets go

• The Visionary: sees growth, not setbacks

• The Friend: reassures, nurtures, calms

• The Warrior steps up with courage

Ask:

“What would this part of me do next?”

Even imagining this response changes your posture, energy, and emotional outlook.

Step 5: Take One Grounded Action (1–2 minutes)

Now that your lens is clearer, do something small that aligns with it.

Examples:

• Send the message you were avoiding (Leader)

• Go for a walk or stretch (Warrior)

• Reframe your self-talk (Friend)

• Revisit your long-term goal list (Visionary)

Tiny shifts in action reinforce the new perspective.

Example in Action

You feel rejected after being left on read. You’re spiralling: “They’re ignoring me. I’m not good enough. Why does this always happen?”

🔹 Pause and breathe

🔹 Name it: “I feel ignored and insecure.”

🔹 Ask: “What would I tell a friend in this moment?”

🔹 Choose Lens: The Friend — “This moment doesn’t define you.”

🔹 Take Action: Go journal or send a message to someone who lifts your energy.

And just like that, you’ve broken the emotional trap.

Perspective Isn't a Trick. It's a Tool.

This isn’t about toxic positivity or pretending everything is okay.

It’s about reclaiming your power in the one place that truly matters: your interpretation.

Your brain is constantly trying to make sense of the world. But you can teach it to choose better stories.Stories that make you stronger, not smaller.Stories that remind you who you really are.

Final Word: The View is Up to You

You are not powerless. You are not your worst thought. And you are never truly stuck—only stuck in a perspective.

And the beautiful truth?

You can shift it at any moment.

All it takes is a pause… a question… a conscious choice.

So the next time the world feels heavy and your emotions start writing the story, stop and ask:

“What other lens could I choose right now?”

Because in the end, it’s not the world that defines your life.

It’s the way you choose to see it.

Remember this: You are not your thoughts. You are not your mood. You are not the story playing on repeat in your mind.

You are the one who sees. The one who can shift.The one who can choose again, right now.

Perspective is not just a mental trick. It’s your superpower. The ability to pause, to breathe, and to look again is the beginning of freedom. And freedom is where all transformation begins.

You don’t have to wait for the world to change. You don’t have to wait for people to understand you . You don’t have to wait until you feel better to begin.

Shift the lens, and everything shifts with it.

In that moment, you stop reacting to life and start creating it. Not as a victim of your circumstances, but as the author of your story.

So the next time you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or invisible, remember: You are only one thought away from power. One shift away from peace.One new perspective away from the life you were meant to live.

Choose it. Own it. Step into it.

You are more powerful than you think.