Today is one of those days. Motivation has been as elusive as the genie’s freedom in Aladdin. When days like this hit, I find it hard to wade out of the muck and find higher, more balanced ground. It is all I can do to keep moving and doing. What spurs these bouts of laziness? I am never certain. But I am not about to wave the pity flag. Instead, I seek a new perspective.

I believe we can look at things with two different sets of eyes. With one pair, we  analyze our actions and judge them by how many lines are crossed off our to-do list. “Oh, look at how much shit I got done today,” we say to ourselves.  We can measure our day in definitive terms. This method has a practical application. It gives us a feeling of accomplishment. I am the first to admit that I love this way. It feeds my ego and grants me an aura of importance.

But there is another way of seeing.

This lens is more abstract, and therefore, harder to describe. There are no boxes to check or scores to tally. I think of this as more of an inner sight. We can see things by how they look in our spirit.

Allow me to give a for instance.

Sometimes we meet someone who looks perfectly put together. Hair is in place, nails are done and clothes are crisp. But we sense another layer. On another level, this person looks messy. Their hair is flying. Their shirt is untucked. One shoe is missing. They feel in disarray. This image comes from our second set of eyes. It allows us to evaluate people and situations by what’s underneath the surface.

When we can view everything in this way, I believe we can take root. We can ground within because we can understand the actions of others and the actions of ourselves with more clarity.

Wouldn’t it be great to meld the two lenses? It would be like investing in a pair of  bifocals for the soul. It would give us a new perspective and offer dimension.

So, maybe on those days when my list remains full and my crosses are few, I can take a step back. Maybe from further away, the words on my list will blur into a new image. When my eyes focus, maybe I will see what has been blocking me. Perhaps there is something I’m not addressing, something I’m missing.

The genie had cuffs holding him back. But unlike the genie, no one can grant me my freedom. I have to find what’s stopping me. I have to take another look.