Aion Farvahar  0:13
How to Change Your Life by Changing Your Perspective
By Aion Farvahar  
"It is not our most difficult experiences themselves that affect us negatively, 
but how negatively we choose to view these experiences. 
Once we recognize that and change our view, these experiences reveal themselves 
as means to be better, stronger, and wiser human beings every day."

Aion Farvahar  0:47
Hi, this is Aion Farvahar. 
I am glad you are here.
This channel is about self realization, and honoring our life purpose and meaning. If you are interested in these topics, please subscribe to stay connected. Your support is the foundation of this channel, and encourages me to create more content in the future.
Today, we want to focus on the power of perspective, and how it can change the way we experience life. We may not have full control over the events that happen in our life, but we do have that control over our perspectives and how we view those events. This is important because our emotional well-being ultimately depends on our perspectives, and the meaning we choose to give to our experiences.  
If you are comfortable, I want to invite you to do a brief contemplation. Reflect on one of your not-so-pleasant experiences in recent time. Maybe a job that you did not get, or a relationship that did not work out for you, or something else where you put energy and efforts, but things did not work out as they could have. As you are reflecting back, check if there is a part of you that is bitter about what happened, and wants to blame you, others, or destiny for why things did not work out. Acknowledge this part of you that has a negative perspective about this experience. Now, check if there is a part of you that sees some value in that experience, despite it not working out. Maybe something that you have discovered about yourself, maybe recognizing that you had good intentions and did your best, maybe even recognizing good intentions of others involved, if any. Also, check if this experience has made you wiser, despite being unpleasant, maybe helping you be more resilient, and be clearer about what you should or should not do in the future. 

Aion Farvahar  3:56
Now, notice how different these two parts of you view that experience, and how different you notice them emotionally. The part of you with negative perspective may call you to embody negatively-charged emotions like regret, anger, blame, guilt, weakness, shame, unworthiness, loneliness, and so on. While, the one with positive perspective may call you to embody positive emotions such as openness, forgiveness, acceptance, resilience, maturity, wisdom, courage, and so on. The level of your emotional well-being depends on what perspective you choose to have when it comes to that experience. I hope you found this contemplation useful in highlighting the power you have through the choice of your perspective. Consider contemplating on this further on your own. 
Perspective is the most powerful virtue you have. If you choose to have a positive perspective in your life, you would always find value in your experiences, regardless of how difficult they may be. That is how you can raise the level of your self-awareness and knowledge, through your experiences. 

Aion Farvahar  5:39
Unfortunately, having positive perspective does not happen naturally because our mind is always focused on things that we are missing, things that are not perfect, or things that could be better. So, having and maintaining a positive perspective needs practice and a higher sense of self-awareness. This presentation invites you to notice your perspectives both toward yourself, and toward others and the world, as well as the emotions they awaken in you. Are these emotions positive and life-promoting, or otherwise negative and life-denying? Does the way you view yourself and others invite a sense of openness, acceptance, and understanding, or otherwise, closing your heart, making you feel judgmental or critical instead?  This presentation also provides some tips on how to go about inviting more positive perspectives both toward yourself, and when it comes to your difficult experiences. 

Aion Farvahar  6:53
How to cultivate a more Positive Perspective in Life
Cultivating positive perspective in life starts with yourself, and being kinder and fairer toward yourself, and the realization that sometimes you might not have given yourself the credit you deserved. Many of us do a good job appreciating others and give them credit, but when it comes to ourselves, we somehow shy away from that, maybe seeing it as a form of self-appraisal and unnecessary.  
This may have to do with the fact that many of us may not have received enough encouragements and appreciations, growing up. Maybe our parents or guardians were preoccupied with other things, and did not see our best efforts, or did not understand our intentions. Some of us grow up with adults who may have had pessimistic views in life, even not being fair toward themselves. Maybe having a positive view about ourselves back then felt egocentric, irrespective whether it was justified. But now as adults, we have a chance to be different, to be fair, and to give ourselves credit when deserved, and don't let our failures or mistakes overshadow our good intentions, and prevent us from recognizing the efforts we put in. 

Aion Farvahar  8:32
Let's consider an example to clarify what I mean, by being fair and positive. Imagine I was interviewed for a job I was very excited about, but did not end up getting it. Obviously like any rejection, this rejection can feel demoralizing and discouraging, but I can have two different perspectives toward it. I may choose to have a negative perspective, viewing this rejection as a reflection of who I am, for example, 
Believing I am just not smart or good enough.
Thinking others are probably much better than me.
Reminding myself of my bad luck and how this has been the story of my life.
Believing that no matter what I do, it'd never be enough.
Thinking the interviewer was mean and did not like me.
Assuming something beyond my control is blocking me, for example blaming God or destiny for this rejection. 
Or, Believing that it will always be like that, and I may never get a break.
You can probably notice the negative-charged emotions behind each one of these thoughts and beliefs, and how they could drain my life energy and optimism about the future. But alternatively, I can choose to have a positive perspective, viewing this rejection as an experience that has value. For example,

Aion Farvahar  10:20
Being glad that I applied for this job, and tried my chance to get it. 
Thinking about how I can further improve my resume or interview skills. 
Realizing that I did my best during the interview, and should give myself credit for that.
Seeing this rejection as a motivation to work harder, and do better next time.
Focusing on the future, and acknowledging the possibility that my ideal job may be somewhere else.
Or, reevaluating if this job would have reflected who I am, or where I want to head in life.
You can notice the positive emotions behind each one of these thoughts and beliefs, and how they invite openness, self-reliance, and a heart-open optimism toward the future.
The point of this simple example is that our setbacks and rejections, although emotionally painful, have life-promoting values, because they provide an opportunity for self-reflection. Remember that you become wiser and stronger not through staying in your comfort zone, or chasing good experiences, but rather through courageously facing and enduring your life challenges, and learning to rise above them, and to do that you need to have a positive perspective, regardless of where your destiny takes you. So, when you deal with challenges and difficult experiences, always remember the followings: 

Aion Farvahar  12:06
Instead of asking why this should happen to you or who is to blame, check how this experience can help you become a better, stronger, and wiser person. 
Remember that all you can do is to have good intentions and do your best to rise above it. How things evolve from there would not be in your control.  
Avoid giving your experience a “moral meaning”, for example seeing as a reflection of who you are as a person. Even if you made a mistake that led you here, avoid letting that mistake define you as incapable, unworthy, or as a bad person. Instead learn from the mistake and make efforts to be better.
If there are other people involved, who made mistakes, see if you can notice their good intention, even in situations when their interest is not fully aligned with yours. Do your best to refrain from judging or blaming them for what happened.  
Remember that judging, blaming, shaming of yourself or others, even when it appears justified, closes your heart and blocks your ability to see things in positive light. 
In general, when it comes to your life experiences, especially difficult ones, always ask what this experience is meant to teach you about yourself. Having a positive perspective is not limited to our experiences, and should extend to how we view ourselves. So, next time you have an opportunity for journaling or self-reflection, consider the following contemplations: 

Aion Farvahar  14:01
List all qualities that a true human being should have, for example, being open, positive, empowered, inspired, considerate, compassionate, understanding, and so on.
Check inside to find those qualities in you. Realize that you have them too, and should use them when viewing yourself or interacting with others.  
If you notice qualities in you that you consider not as ideal, recognize them. This helps you to be non-judgmental when you notice non-ideal qualities in others. 
If you've had a difficult life, try not to focus on the difficulties themselves, but on how younger versions of you had resilience to endure and rise above them, so you can be here today. It is important to turn your attention away from painful things that you might have experienced in the past, and instead recognize the warrior and fighting spirit in you that helped your survive them, so you can continue to move toward where you need to go in your life. 
If you are spiritual, and believe you are imagined and created by God or a divine intelligence to serve a purpose, contemplate on what that purpose is. What is the highest divine imagination of you in this world? Who is this person you are meant to be? This contemplation helps you turn your attention away from any negative views you may have about yourself, and instead pay attention to your potentialities and how you can honor them. If you are imagined and created by God or a divine intelligence, then you already have everything you need to actualize that imagination, and become the one you can be.
In closing, I want to leave you with a powerful quote from Dr. Wayne Dyer, which read
"If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." 
If you have found this presentation inspiring, please like and share it with your like-minded friends. Please subscribe to my channel and share your thoughts and comments. For more information about myself and my life mentorship practice, please find my bio link in the description below.
Blessings.