A bird’s eye view of Skaket Beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts gives some perspective to the true beauty of this location. From the ground it may only look like a typical stretch of sand but from the sky we can see the Earth’s lovely gradual transition from sandy beach to swaying blue water.

When we look at our own lives, it is so easy to only see things directly in front of us. As our brains get used to every day’s typical coming and going, the beauty of things can get dulled or hard to see. Other times we face obstacles in our path and from where we stand they look like mountains too high to climb. Our perspective can get tapped down, narrowed in, and limit our potential if we let it.

That’s why we all need moments in life that help us change our views, even if only for a temporary glimpse from an angle we have yet to explore. Finding that perspective can be difficult. It means letting go of what we have come to know and expect from a place or situation. It often means stepping out into new territories – whether that is at work, home, or in our circles of friendship and routine. It requires getting comfortable with being temporarily uncomfortable.

When we start to make little changes, we can find the most refreshing views. It might be a conversation with someone new, taking a different route on our afternoon walk, adding a twist to a tried and true dinner recipe, or simply raising your camera high above for a new angle. If we live with the intention of keeping fresh perspective, we can learn to see life’s obstacles as simple hills, our everyday experiences as unique opportunities, and perhaps even a stretch of ordinary beach as a brilliant gateway to the deep blue sea.