per·spec·tive [per-spek-tiv]
–noun
1. the state of one’s ideas, the facts known to one, etc., in having a meaningful interrelationship: You have to live here a few years to see local conditions in perspective.
2. the faculty of seeing all the relevant data in a meaningful relationship: Your data is admirably detailed but it lacks perspective.

note the common words in both of those definitions: “meaningful” and “relationship”. perspective is relative because those words are relative. what is meaningful on one day or at one point in time, may not be the next. relationships are constantly developing and evaporating between things in our mind, people around us, goals, desires, and our perception of the past, present, and future.

that’s why external events and information have the power to shift our perspective. large events that happen directly to us may be more noticeable… but even hearing about small things that happen halfway around the world to people we have never met have immense power to change innate aspects of our character. of our perspective.

- 2007 Pulitzer Prize winner for Feature Photography: Sacramento Bee (thanks, Graham)
- out on the street in Baltimore (thanks, Superchou)
- Miss Landmine 2007 (thanks, Dr. Charles)
- Sudanese hospital (thanks, James)
- little ones too good for this world (thanks, Darlene)

what things have influenced your perspective this week?

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