Are you getting enough perspective?

Perspective is very important if we want to be able to clearly understand where we are to plot a course to where we want to be.

The answer to how far away is the rock in the picture from my house in Burntisland, and therefore, how long will it take me to walk there, and how long will I have to do that safely, are very difficult to determine from this picture from the window at home. 

You might be able to establish some of the answers when there are people, or horses as in this photo, standing next to it when the tide is out - as it's only then I realise it's bigger than it looks.

Perspective also comes from being able to see the rock in context, as shown from the top of the hill at the back of Burntisland in this picture:

Or from different angles and at different times of the tide. 

Or, perhaps using maps is the only way to get a better understanding - at least that provides an accurate scale.

It's only after all this information is known and compared and analysed that the answer to "how far away is the rock?" is: further away, bigger, taller and wider than I first thought. Only then that I can accurately determine how to deal with the situation. Which in this case involved walking there an hour before low tide as demonstrated by this video blog I recorded once I got there on having the right tools for the job.

How can you get more perspective on a challenge in your life? 

Alison Smith

Landscaping Your Life
Inspiring change inside and out

PS: I think perhaps those who designed this poster should perhaps read the blog too, and understand what perspective would look like for 'best days out'. 

I know the pictures show Burntisland to be a great place but I worry for the rest of Scotland if the best day out would be had from coming here! Then that's just from my perspective - kidlets might enjoy the fair and the beach.