This is George.

George loves to play fetch. The caveat is he won’t play fetch with a ball like a normal dog. He’s just not interested. However, there’s a field near our apartment where somebody ran over a tennis ball with a lawnmower and George LOVES to play fetch with the ratty felt covering (I call it “the fuzz”) that was left behind. The picture below will give you a visual.

Here’s the problem with the fuzz – it’s not the easiest to find. But George loves that thing like he was separated from it at birth, and so he paces back and forth each afternoon until he finds it. The picture below gives you an idea of how hard it can be to find.

As we get to this part of the field, both George and I (and Jane) start looking for the fuzz. Even when he gets a head start, Jane and I can usually find it before George. Why? Is it because we’re smarter? I hope so, but that’s not it. Is it because we have a better sense of sight? Maybe, but I still don’t think so. I think the answer is perspective. Compared to George, Jane and I are giants. His eyes are about a foot (maybe 18”) off the ground when he’s looking for the fuzz and ours are closer to five and half feet off the ground. From where we’re looking, we can see farther and at a downward angle that makes the fuzz easier to identify. George on the other hand, can only effectively see the ground that’s a few feet in front of him. When you consider that difference, it’s not surprising we beat him to it most of the time. I used to think George was just too much of a spazz to quickly find the fuzz, but now I think I have the benefit of perspective that he doesn’t. That realization has made me just a little bit more patient watching him search on his own.

So this week, I’d ask you to think about some of the perspective(s) you have that others in your life might not have the benefit of. It could be your co-workers, residents, partners, kids, friends, or parents. What are you assuming they can see (or know) that maybe they can’t? What would change if you could share that perspective with them? For George, it would mean a lot more fetch!