The Power of Perspective: A Pathway to Joy

Larry Julian

I was in downtown Minneapolis, racing between appointments. While typically a calm and collected person, I was in a foul mood on this day. I had just left a frustrating meeting and had 30 minutes to get to my next appointment. The pristine snow-covered streets had turned to April’s wet, muddy sidewalks. Watching my shoes get muddier made me more aggravated because I wanted to look good for my next appointment. Knowing that two shoeshine stands were located on the way to my next appointment, I quickly ran to the stand I preferred. It was convenient, provided fast service, and it was directly on my route. There was a wait, so I decided to head to the other shoeshine stand, about a block away.

Thankfully, the second stand had no line. The shoeshine man sat in the big, comfortable chair eating his sandwich. As I raced up to the stand, the elderly man slowly rose to greet me. Neatly dressed in dark blue slacks and a navy shirt, the shirt’s emblem proudly displayed his name, Jake. Smiling, he glanced at my muddy shoes and said, “Man, you came to the right place. Hop up and let Jake take care of you.”

Jumping into the chair, I began fuming as I recalled the meeting I had just left. I thought about my presentation, given to 10 surgeons from a prestigious medical practice. I had volunteered my services as a consultant/speaker to help teach these physicians the importance of showing respect for their patients. This was a personally significant assignment, as my recent back surgery had been performed by a member of this medical clinic. I felt I had been treated as a spine instead of as a person, and I had hoped to show them how to be more respectful of the patient and how to treat patients as customers.

The meeting was a disaster. The surgeons became indignant, claiming, “We can’t afford to do that! Do you know what kind of pressure we are under? For us, time is money. Our caseload is already overloaded. We don’t have time to hand-hold every patient.”

I had been working long hours under considerable pressure trying to grow my new business. Recalling the details of the meeting set off a chain reaction of negative thoughts: I get no appreciation for my efforts. I am behind in my work. I probably have to work late to prepare for my presentation tomorrow. I am tired. This day stinks! I caught myself going through my complaint list and snapped out of it.

I glanced at Jake as he meticulously cleaned my shoes and made sure he had wiped away any trace of mud. I watched as he wrapped an old cloth tightly around two fingers and dipped them into black shoe polish. Using slow circular motions, he rubbed the polish deep into my shoes. I was mesmerized by the meticulous detail he used to shine my shoes. Each stroke began to transform my cold and tired feet into a comfortable and warm respite from the day. I found myself starting to relax.

Without looking up from his meticulous work, Jake said, “Life sure is good, ain’t it?” I sarcastically replied, “That depends on your perspective.” Jake looked up and said, “I don’t know about you, but the good Lord has blessed me with a great 90 years.”

I asked, “What’s the key to your success?” He smiled and said, “Appreciation. I appreciate everything the Lord has given me.” Jake went on to describe a life of poverty, struggles and hard times, yet his stories were filled with many blessings, including a job he loved and a loving family.

His comments stopped me in my tracks. I thought about my meeting with the surgeons. They were upset about their time pressures, and they were clearly not at peace. Financially, they had everything they needed, yet they were stressed and complaining about their circumstances. I thought, These surgeons have a lot to be thankful for, yet don’t appreciate what they have. On the other hand, Jake has lived a tough life, has very little in the way of material possessions, but is truly filled with peace and joy.

A seven-minute shoeshine transformed a bad day into a good day. My circumstances hadn’t changed, but my perspective had. For the first time in my life, I had understood what it meant to be joyful always and to give thanks in all circumstances. Quite frankly, I had never been able to put my arms around the concept of “being joyful always.” I thought, How can I be joyful when I am under such stress and feel so lousy? It was even more of a stretch when it came to “giving thanks in all circumstances.” I believed that it was one thing to muster up some joy, but to actually give thanks in all circumstances? Even the bad circumstances? That’s a stretch!” Jake helped me gain perspective on what’s important. He helped me see how God wastes nothing; He uses all circumstances for the good of those who love Him.

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Larry S. Julian is a consultant and speaker specializing in Biblically-based leadership and strategic planning. In addition to many churches and non-profit organizations, his clients have included 3M, American Express Financial Services, AT&T, BP Amoco, General Mills, Honeywell, Mayo Clinic, PepsiCo, and Qwest.

In addition to God is My CEO, Larry is also the author of two other books that help business people integrate work and faith: God is My Success: Transforming Adversity into Your Destiny, and God is My Coach: A Business Leader’s Guide to Finding Clarity in an Uncertain World. You can reach him and buy his books at www.larryjulian.com