Humans are amazing creatures. Our unique combination of DNA, environment and experiences cause each of us to see, experience and interpret the world around us in a way that is truly personal. Multiple people may experience the same event, but each of them will take something different away with them. Take a music concert, for instance. The thousands of people attending all hear the same music and are all in the same venue. One person will remember how great it felt with all her friends around her. Another will remember that night as a lonely experience because he’d just broken up with his partner the week before.

These unique perspectives are opportunities. Opportunities for both growth as well as misunderstanding.

Misunderstanding if we only see things from our own perspective and negate, belittle or disregard how others may perceive the world.

Growth if we empathize with others and truly try to understand how their view of the world might perhaps complement or be integrated into our own.

Our perspectives aren’t right or wrong – they’re just different from others. We can respond to these differences with fear which inevitably results in conflict, or we can respond with acceptance and be amazed at what might happen.