Is Your View Working for You?
By Beth Herosy

We have all heard the saying, "What you see is what you get," but for now I'd like you to think of it in a different way: "What you look at is what you get." The things that you see the most everyday have a definite influence on you and on your life. If you have a positive reaction to what you are seeing, then that object or view will have a positive influence. If you have a negative reaction, then you are looking at something that is a negative influence on both you and your life experiences.

Is there a desk that you sit at often? What do you see when
you are sitting there? And how do you feel when you see it?
For instance, I have recently been working in a space where there is a photo of the World Trade Center. I didn't have a strong reaction to it at first, but over time I have decided that I do get a negative feeling from it, which means that it is having a negative effect on me and on my life. So I will remove it from my view, or place it in a less prominent position if it is important to someone else who uses the space.

And I know I'm always talking about clutter, but that is one of the things that often causes stress levels to rise. For most of us that is a negative!

In my own office I took months to decide on the piece of art that would hang across from my desk, just to make sure that I was choosing something that I would enjoy and feel positive about. Now I can see it everyday and feel that it is enhancing my life. I am also very particular about the view out of my office door into the next room. I am always making sure that there is nothing in the view from my desk that I feel negative about, except sometimes the piles of work!

Take a few moments to think about the places where you spend a lot of time and how you feel about what you can see when you are there. Think about the view from your bed, your favorite easy chair, and your seat at the dinner table, in addition to what you see from your desk or workspace.

Is there something you can do to change your view when you feel that it is having a negative effect on you? You may be able to decide which item is causing the negative feeling, and remove it or screen it from your  view. And see what you can do to add something that you really love, to enhance the positive effect of your view.

Now is a good time to think about your outdoor view also, because you still have time to add or remove things from your landscape before the winter. For every outdoor view that you see often, such as the one from the window over your sink or your bedroom or office window, try to come up with something that will be pleasant to look at throughout the fall, winter, and spring seasons. If you do not have control of the landscape outside the window you may be able to place something inside, like a favorite object on the window sill, a hanging plant, or pleasing window treatments.

When you want to do something to improve the quality of your life, decide what you want to get, and make sure that is what you are seeing!

For practitioners:
Make sure you have many items in your office, such as brochures and artwork, that illustrate your services and your philosophy. These visual reminders will serve both you and your clients.