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The Art of Happiness: Changing Perspective

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Submitted By emilyfagan
Words 955
Pages 4
Emily Fagan
PHIL 2020
First Draft
April 7, 2016

Changing your perspective is an important part of finding happiness and showing compassion towards others. Learning to see from other points of view from different types of people expands your mind and makes you more humble and compassionate towards others, therefore expanding your happiness and creating a better life. Taking a step back and actually listening to other people and feeling their emotions as they portray them can change your perspective and visualize what it would be like to be in their shoes. The Dalai Lama has great views on how to achieve happiness by shifting perspectives and showing compassion towards others, and by reading The Art of Happiness and practicing these I have realized that a great deal of my life is changing and my happiness is gradually growing. “The ability to shift perspective can be one of the most powerful and effective tools we have to help us cope with life’s daily problems” (Dalai Lama, pg. 172-173). The Dalai Lama explains that the ability to shift your perspective to a different vantage point can be very helpful, especially when dealing with suffering and hardship. I’ve found this to be very true. For example, when my hours were cut at work and I was barely clearing a $100 paycheck every two weeks, I became infuriated and also desolate because I was broke and had bills to pay. I never thought to think of the other people at my work having their hours cut too, but with families to feed and bills to pay, so once I finally realized it wasn’t only me who was suffering, I became less infuriated and more concerned for the others around me. By putting myself in my co-workers shoes I was able to see that I wasn’t so bad off, and I began offering a helping hand to those who are less fortunate. My manager, being a single mother away from any family members to help, was distraught

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