The Lens You Choose
How we perceive the world shapes our actions, thoughts, choices, and moods. Four different lenses help us become aware and "see differently". Which one will you choose?
Look around you. What do you see?
The universe playing bumper cars with your life?
A blank canvas waiting for your brushstrokes?
The world is as it is. But the way we perceive it shapes everything.
In this edition, we’ll peek through different lenses and see how the picture shifts.
At the end, there is also a challenge. Tell me how it went. 👇
🏴☠️
Before we dive in, here are a few highlights from what has been happening in the PIRATE family lately:
AtlasZero is looking for companies that are in the process of doing the CSRD reporting. Daniel is starting an interview series to demystify the CSRD tool selection process. Interested in participating or know anyone? Just reach out.
PIRATEx is looking for a Working Student “Social Media” (German language skills required).
🏴☠️
Here is the setting:
Imagine yourself in a bustling coffee shop. The line snakes towards the counter, orders fly back and forth, and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee fills the air.
How might your perspective shift if you experienced this scenario through different lenses?
Victim Lens
Stuck in the back, you are grumbling, "This line is ridiculous! It’s always the same. Why can't they hire more baristas?" Frustration and helplessness color your vision, turning the scene into a personal inconvenience.
The Victim Lens says, "Life happens to me."
Life is viewed as a series of problems whose origins are easily explained: “Someone is at fault” or “Someone should fix this”.
Every inconvenience is a personal attack, leading to a world filled with blame, frustration, excuses, complaints, and a dose of self-pity.
No gray, just black and white - it’s always ‘us against them’.
While it is convenient and thus might feel safer to externalize blame, it isn’t exactly a recipe for happiness.
Hustle Lens
Phone screen blazing, fingers flying, you strategize: "Okay, ten minutes until my order. Can I squeeze in a call while I wait? Maybe check that urgent email. Gotta optimize this time!" The coffee shop transforms into a productivity zone, the wait morphed into a challenge to conquer.
This lens lets you take responsibility with the mindset, "Life is done by me."
A world of taking ownership, setting goals, and hustling your way to the top. “There is a problem, I will solve it.”
It’s the lens entrepreneurs wear most of the time.
A go-getter zone, where ambition and action reign in a constant chase to be even more efficient.
Like a hamster on a wheel, you spin the wheel of productivity, ticking off tasks, crushing goals.
Feels good... right? For a moment.
But here's the catch: the finish line keeps moving.
The "shoulds" and "have-tos" pile up, fueled by comparisons to the highlight reels of others. Conquer one mountain, and two more appear.
Fulfillment? Fleeting. A mirage shimmering in the distance.
Remember that hamster? Yeah, eventually, even they need a break.
Flow Lens
Taking a deep breath, you observe the vibrant chaos. You notice the intricate latte art, the laughter between friends, and the barista's focused movements. The wait dissolves into a present moment, an opportunity to connect with the scene and yourself.
As you take a deep breath and let go, you step into, "Life flows through me."
This perspective embraces the bigger picture, trusting in a natural order beyond our control. “Life handles all problems.”
It's about going with the current and maybe even catching a few waves along the way.
A world built on trust and surrender, in which you are open to whatever appears and find peace in acceptance.
But navigating the flow isn't about mindlessly bobbing along.
It's about finding the sweet spot between surrender and intention, like a skilled surfer riding the wave's power without getting wiped out.
One Lens
As you sip your coffee, a sense of oneness washes over you. You see yourself not just as a customer, but part of the bigger picture. The barista, the other customers, the coffee beans themselves - all interconnected in this shared experience. The boundaries between observer and observed vanish, leaving a profound sense of unity and belonging.
Finally, when everything merges into one, there's, "Life is me."
This is the ultimate oneness, where the observer and the observed merge.
There are no problems and no one to “solve” them.
You see yourself in everything, and everything in you. It's about losing the "me" and seeing the interconnectedness of it all.
Sounds profound, right?
You don't need a mountaintop epiphany, extensive meditation, or a psychedelic trip to access this lens.
It's always there, simmering beneath the surface.
Mindfulness? Sure, that helps. A walk in nature? Even better.
But ultimately, it's about quieting the noise, paying attention, and noticing the interconnectedness woven into the fabric of everyday life.
Which lens will you choose?
Here's the thing: you're not stuck with one lens.
We can all switch between them depending on the day, the situation, or the context.
Each lens is activated through a perspective shifter: “Taking Responsibility”, “Letting Go”, or “Oneness”.
The key is awareness.
By making the unconscious conscious, you can recognize your current lens and its impact on your actions, thoughts, choices, and moods.
You can then consciously add the perspective shifter to change it.
So, which lens are you using right now? Is it empowering you, or holding you back? Does it make you feel pleasant or anxious?
Just like a blank canvas, the world is a possibility.
What will you make of it?
🙏
Be kind!
Manuel
P.S. Don't get hung up on labels. Labels are for clothes, not lenses. They are starting points for you to explore. The real world is messy, beautiful, and way more complex than any neat framework. Explore, experiment, and find your unique way of seeing the world. Just make sure it's a perspective that helps you move forward.
P.P.S Here's a challenge: for one day, practice "one lens" seeing. Start small. Acknowledge the barista as part of your coffee experience, not just a service provider. Say hello to a stranger waiting in line. Experience from a state of awe and wonder. Without judging. Watch a world that unfolds with curiosity, not just your own needs in mind. You might be surprised by how interconnected it all feels. Tell me how it went!