7 Life Perspectives: The Choice is Yours

You have probably heard that we all see the world subjectively and from our own perspective. What makes up our worldview is our personal belief system. An event, a person, or a behavior can seem good and desirable for one person and completely wrong for another. Yet a third person can view them as neither good nor bad.

Whether we want it or not, we are all biased, prejudiced, and driven by often irrational beliefs. This is the so-called lens through which we see the world.

Fortunately, these views and lenses can be changed. We have the power to alter our beliefs and how we see the world. To help you in the journey of leadership and self-mastery, we present you with 7 different life perspectives, a framework developed by iPEC. In any given situation, you can choose to see the world and respond with at least 7 life perspectives. Get ready to explore these worldview examples with us.

Life Perspective 1: Hopelessness

The first life perspective we will start with has the least energy. It is associated with feelings of helplessness and apathy.

Have you ever wanted to hide in a corner and do nothing? This is when you have experienced this perspective. 

As a leader, you might have also been in the “hopelessness” frame of mind when you thought something like:

• “I can’t do anything about this.”
• “It’s hopeless.”
• “What’s the point anyway?”
• “There is nothing I/we can do.”
• “Why me/us?”

These are all worldview examples for the first life perspective.

It’s not a lens we recommend for long-term use. No successful leader uses this point of view to flourish.

However, we want to point out that there might be times when tapping into this perspective is necessary and the right choice. After all, this is a perspective that protects us from getting hurt and making a wrong move.  

Life Perspective 2: Anger

The second life perspective has way more energy, but it is associated with feelings of anger and frustration.

It’s one of the two types of worldviews that are destructive, especially in the long run.

Have you ever blamed someone else or the world as a whole for your results?

Well, this is an example of looking at life from the lens of anger and blame. Other thoughts that could have come to your mind are:

• “It’s their fault.”
• “I’m so angry at them for doing this to us/me.”
• “It’s a dog-eat-dog world.”
• “If I win, they lose.”
• “It’s a zero-sum game.”
• “Why can’t others do their work correctly?“

These are just a few examples of the anger viewpoint. Unfortunately, our world seems to be blinded by this perspective.

As with hopelessness, this worldview can be helpful in the short run and for specific situations. Sometimes, you might need to get angry at someone. However, people who constantly use this kind of perspective to lead are usually labeled as “dictators” or “micromanagers,”… you get the point.

Is this the kind of “leader” you want to be?

We thought so. Continue reading to find other possible worldview examples you can use constantly. 

Life Perspective 3: Responsibility

The third life perspective you can choose at any moment is the one about responsibility.

This is the first of the types of worldviews that is creative and uplifting.

This is where you take responsibility for your thoughts, feelings, and actions. It’s a change from not seeing any options or blaming the outside world to looking within.

As a leader, you might have thought something like:

• “How can I make this better?”
• “It is my responsibility to do this.”
• “I have control to move this forward?”
• “I can do this.”

These are all examples of the life perspective of responsibility.

And like the perspectives before, there are pros and cons with using this one. On the plus side, the worldview of responsibility moves you to a more sustainable lifestyle. It is a place where you realize it is up to you. You can do anything you set your mind to.

On the minus side, this perspective is too internally focused. You might feel like you must do everything and not trust or care about others. It is still an excellent perspective to use occasionally, but if you want to master leadership and live life to the fullest, there are other viewpoints to utilize. 

Life Perspective 4: Care

The fourth life perspective has even more energy towards yourself and others. This is the perspective of care.

If you have experienced the following, you know what it is to look from this lens:

1. Taking care of your wellbeing
2. Helping others
3. Serving others
4. Wondering how you can serve and help others

This perspective is very serving-oriented. However, it can sometimes cause you to forget your own needs and desires.

Like every other life perspective, the viewpoint of care has two sides. One is the side of being there for others with empathy and care with their best interest in mind. The other is the side of forgetting to care for yourself and also seeing others as needing care.

Can you use this perspective as your main viewpoint?

Yes, this one is more sustainable, as long as you remember that care also means self-care.

Are there other life perspectives that can be utilized as permanent lenses?

Read on to find out. We’ve got some very powerful worldview examples coming up.

Life Perspective 5: Opportunity

The fifth life perspective in our list is the one of opportunity and empowerment. This worldview is used by some of the best leaders in the world.

Some of the thoughts that would indicate the life perspective of opportunity are:

• “This looks like a great opportunity for us to pursue.”
• “I’m surrounded by talented people who do a great job and have amazing potential.”
• “How can we improve this?”
• “What are the possibilities here?”
• “How can I empower my team to achieve our goals?”

This is a compelling life perspective that can be utilized most of the time. It is associated with confidence, empowerment, and power, as well as fulfillment and peace.

However, as with any other perspective, this one has its disadvantages. For example, you can get into paralysis by analysis and not be able to choose a direction. If there are too many possibilities, which one do you prefer? Also, too much feeling of confidence and power can make you take many risks. 

Should you tap into this life perspective? Yes! It has high potential and employs the “win-win” mentality.

Through this lens, the world is not a zero-sum game. It is a beautiful game where we should all win. 

Life Perspective 6: Connection

The sixth of our seven worldview examples is the one of connection. This is the view that we are all one.

It has very high energy, and you can recognize it through some of the following thoughts or feelings:

• “My intuition is telling me to do this.”
• “I’m very intuitive.”
• “I feel such joy in life.”
• “All experiences are valuable and part of the big picture and journey.”
• “There is a purpose in everything.“

This lens allows you to see the whole instead of just its parts. It is a place where you can experience permanent joy and satisfaction.

Furthermore, this is a viewpoint where intuition is considered powerful and something to be utilized and nurtured. Tapping into this life perspective makes you more creative, a genius, a visionary, and a brilliant and conscious leader.

Unfortunately, it can also make you seem out of touch with others and “reality.” Even more, it can make you a very high risk-taker. 

Should you tap into this perspective?

Yes! Yes!! Yes!!!

This is definitely a viewpoint you want to hold regularly to take advantage of the creativity, joy, and connection it brings.

Can you utilize this life perspective as a dominant one?

Of course, you can. Any perspective can be your dominant viewpoint.

The question is whether you want it to be or not. As we have repeated over and over again, all seven options have their pros and cons. Knowing them is powerful and can help you tap into the perspective without being too affected by the disadvantages.  

Life Perspective 7: Passion

The last and most energetically powerful of the 7 life perspectives is the one of absolute passion. This lens shows the world through entirely objective thinking, non-judgment, and fearlessness.

The view you hold here is that life is just a game to be played. There is no winning or losing.

It is also the place of creating brilliant ideas out of nothing. 

This life perspective allows you to tap into the other six and choose how to create your world.

You can recognize you are tapping into the life perspective of absolute passion through the following thoughts:

• “There is no good or bad, no right or wrong.”
• “I create my world as I choose to.”
• “Unconditional love is all there is.”
• “We are love.”
• “I’m passionate about everything.“

This is a worldview you can tap into occasionally since no one operates from this high-energetic perspective all the time.

7 Worldview Examples to Choose From

That’s a wrap, my fellow leader and high achiever. Here you have it.

With this framework, there are 7 ways you can view any situation. What is your perspective? Which lens do you want to use at any given moment? The choice is yours.

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If you want to gain a deeper understanding of these possible choices and how you can make the framework yours, don’t hesitate to call us or gift yourself the ELI Assessment.