P: Preference POV & Perspective

One person's craziness is another person's reality.
 ― Tim Burton

I'm sitting down to a nice cafe au lait.  For those of you who don't know it's simply coffee with milk. I made it with  CDM coffe.  If you've ever been to New Orleans, you know CDM stands for Cafe du Monde. It may be in a cafe, but this is no boutique coffee.  They make you have a note from your cardiologist before they'll put in extra shots.  It's been the perfect compliment to beignets for years.
However, not everyone likes it because of the chicory. Chicory has experienced a love/hate relationship with coffee drinkers.   Then again, maybe some people really believe colored water is coffee.  Whatever the reason, coffee is very much a matter of preference.  One man's heart attack is another man's after dinner relaxation.
It's all about perspective. 

Perspective is one's choice of a context for opinions, beliefs, and experiences. This is also known as our point of view, or POV.

Now, we talk about POV in writing as the perspective from which the story is told, but isn't it the same in life?  Depending on life experience, choices, etc, we all tell a different version of the same story. 

And I suppose if I had to choose between the true version and an elaborate one involving a fish and a wedding ring, I might choose the fancy version. But that's just me. Daniel Wallace, Big Fish

Yesterday Team Pessimism tried to pull ahead.  It was one of those days you laugh at so you won't scream. I don't have enough time to share the insanity that is my reality.   But, I get to choose my perspective.  Instead of me having to stay late, I thought of it as three less kids not spending hours in the ER. Instead of "ask someone else", it was "how can I help you". Health care today is a profession that can jade you. You constantly have to give yourself mental pep talks and slow down long enough to think about why you're at work.  When you do you can see the good things--the kid that was better on recheck.  The mom that brings you homemade jelly.  Not calling child protective services--YAY!
 Score another for Team Optimism.

Some things you can do to keep a positive perspective:

• Think about and be grateful for the good things in your life--there's at least one thing.
• Decide ahead of time you're going to have a positive attitude.
• Let go of this nonexistent perfection.  It's fantasy.
• Practice.  The more you do it, the more your attitude changes.

It's the same amount of water whether you see it half full or half empty. The difference is perspective.  Oddly enough, there's people who prefer pessimism.  They like having a negative attitude.  Some like the attention whining gets them. 
Me?  I Prefer my POV to be from a more Positive Perspective.  I've always liked the fancy version, not boring reality. It's a lot more fun to take the glass and water the flowers with it.

 What's your perspective on life? How do you keep from losing it?