The Lens We Live Through
Notes #9: September 30, 2026
I have spent the past three weeks entertaining guests from the other side of the world. This was their very first visit to the United States! Showing them proudly around my city gave me ample opportunity to remember that each of us interprets and values the world through his/her own unique lens. A lens made up of our individual history, cultural background, and childhood. A lens that is naturally unique to each of us and as valid and “true” as anyone else’s.
In addition, every decision we make also goes through the lens of the moment. Our emotional and mental state, as well as our physical wellbeing, are some of the factors that make up the “lens” through which we interpret what is in front of us at each moment. External factors such as weather, and presumed expectations, also play a role in shaping our decision making.
The choice we would make when we’re tired or in pain, for example, is likely not the same one we would make, on the same issue, when we’re fully rested and feeling well.
Why does this matter? Because we want to be sure that the decisions we make in life, large and small, are ones that are truly in our best interest. When we look through cloudy or distorted lenses, without being aware of the distortion, we risk making choices that are not necessarily the best for us.
Simply being aware that we’re always seeing the world through subjective lenses, and taking a moment to investigate what “glasses we have on” when we’re about to make any decision, greatly increases the likelihood that we would make a decision that is truly in our best interest.
Sometimes, this means choosing to delay making a certain decision until our lenses are cleaner, at a later time. That might mean holding off until we’ve slept and are rested, or until after we’ve had a nourishing meal, or until we’ve resolved a stressful conflict with someone that is weighing us down.
To get a helpful glimpse of your lens of the moment, simply ask yourself:
Am I hungry or tired right now? (May want to delay making the decision)
Am I stressed or anxious? (same as above)
Am I annoyed or discouraged right now for some known or unknown reason, that would cause me to push away something that is good for me?
A simple example is when we choose to skip going out to exercise when it’s raining and chilly outside. In this case, the cold and rain are clouding :-) the lens through which you made your choice. This is pretty harmless, unless you live in Seattle and choose to wait five months for it to stop raining, before you exercise again…
A more significant example may be when we choose to say no to a professional opportunity, or to an invitation to go on a trip with a friend, due to being under the weather, depressed, or low on energy at the time the opportunity presents itself. In these cases, making this choice through the lens of the moment may not be in our best interest, and we may regret it. If we wait, until after the physical or emotional pain of the moment has passed, we would likely make a different decision, one that could enrich our lives and add to our happiness.
We may not be able to resolve the interfering issue that is clouding our lens readily, but the point is to learn to notice the distortion and take it into account as we make our decisions.
Remembering that everyone’s perception and choice-making is always subjective, depending on the factors that influence us in each moment, can help us give ourselves, and others, more grace. If someone is being unexpectedly rude, inconsiderate, or unavailable to us, for example, it may well be that their lens is clouded by emotional or mental stress, physical pain, or other constricting circumstances we are not aware of. I like to remind myself that the person that cut me off in traffic, for example, may have lost their job that day, or had a quarrel with someone, or is down on their luck and hurting for some other reason.
I’d love to hear what comes up for you in reading this. Where and how might you use these ideas in your life?
