Sexy Toes or Crawly Bugs

My wife has this friend who notices shoes. We will go out to eat with her and she will be like, “Oh my, did you notice those shoes?

“I got to have those shoes.

“Those shoes are hideous.

“If I put those on my feet, my toes would curl.”

Her Facebook post will be, “OMG, you should have seen the shoes this girl had on at the party.”

Now I never notice shoes. I have no emotional connection to shoes. It could be the fact that I am a guy or maybe it’s my phobia of feet. The other day I looked down at the person wearing sandals standing behind me at the movie theater and I saw toes that looked like little bugs just waiting to break off at any moment and run up my pants leg causing terrible havoc. I just don’t notice shoes. It’s a matter of perspective. Shoes are important for some people. Some have an emotional attachment to shoes. They love their shoes. They love to compare their shoe wardrobe with their friends. For others, they could careless. As long as they keep my feet warm, I am happy.

It is all a matter of perspective, but perspective keeps us from the benefits of enjoying certain aspects of life. I will never experience the joy of having a pedicure. Not because I don’t like anyone touching my feet but because I cannot stand the thought of sitting beside someone while they have their feet in the air being scratched on and skin peeled back and foot rubbed. I am starting to feel nauseated as I write this.

Perspective is personal. It is the glass through which we see the world. It’s what shapes our opinions, molds our values, and motivates our actions. Perspective is how we apply our past to our present. It gives us direction as we navigate through life.

The way we view others is determined by who we are. If you really don’t like people, that really is a statement about you and the way you look at people. Who we are determines how we view others. It is our viewpoint that is the problem. If our perspective is distorted then our whole life will be out of balance. If the way we see the world is dark and gloomy, our life will be limited. Don’t try to change others. Focus on changing yourself and becoming the kind of person you desire to be, then you will start viewing others in a whole new light. Of course, I am praying that going barefoot does not become the latest fashion trend.

What perspective has shaped the way you see the world? What have you had to change about yourself to see the world differently?