Hi friends,

Earlier this week, I wrote about Perspective Shift—how changing your perspective from that of a caterpillar looking only at what's directly in front of you to that of a butterfly soaring hundreds (or even a couple thousand) feet above the ground can completely change what you see.

I had the opportunity to live that out this week.

I was working on a project that I thought had to be done a specific way, but I kept running into one roadblock after another. I couldn't find the right collaborators. I couldn't access the right resources. No matter what I tried, I felt stuck.

Then I had a conversation with a friend.

She challenged me to look at the project from a different perspective. What if, instead of trying to force one particular solution, I leaned into a strength and skill set I already had? What if the answer wasn't finding something new, but looking differently at what was already in front of me?

That simple shift changed everything.

Without getting into too many details, it opened up an entirely different direction—one that I'm now genuinely excited to pursue. More importantly, it reminded me that sometimes the obstacle isn't the obstacle at all. Sometimes it's the perspective from which we're viewing it.

It made me wonder...

Where in my own life have I been looking at a problem from only one perspective?

Maybe that's a question worth asking yourself too.

If you didn't get a chance to read this week's reflection on Perspective Shift, you can find it here. And if you think someone else might enjoy these reflections or benefit from joining our Blueprints & Butterflies community, I'd love for you to share it with them.

Until next time, have a wonderful weekend.🦋

Warmly,

Stephanie G. Vanterpool, MD, MBA​
Physician • Educator • Researcher • Writer