Article in The Times of Israel by Andy Blumenthal: Learning is a lifelong pursuit. None of us know everything. Here are five lessons about perspective in life that I wanted to share, and I hope you appreciate their wisdom as much as I do. All in all, we need to maintain a flexible mindset and avoid approaching the world with rigid thinking, because when we do that, we miss out on so much that can enrich our minds, touch our hearts, and uplift our souls.

1. 12/3/23, 6:58 AM It’s All in Your Perspective | Andy Blumenthal | The Blogs
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/its-all-in-your-perspective/ 1/6
THE BLOGS
Andy Blumenthal
Leadership With Heart
It’s All in Your
Perspective
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2. 12/3/23, 6:58 AM It’s All in Your Perspective | Andy Blumenthal | The Blogs
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/its-all-in-your-perspective/ 2/6
Source Photo: https://pixabay.com/photos/wormhole-time-travel-portal-vortex-2514312/
Learning is a lifelong pursuit. None of us know everything. Here are five lessons
about perspective in life that I wanted to share, and I hope you appreciate their
wisdom as much as I do.
Is It a Gift or Did I Just Buy Myself Something?
So this is a true story: On Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, a friend went
to the mall with his kids, sort of a great American tradition. His kids wanted to
get him a Chanukah present, so they took him to the store. Then, they asked
him what he wanted and had him buy it with his credit card. Well, at least they
had good intentions!
Not Disability, Different Ability
They say that, in a sense, having a disability means that you are also very gifted
in other ways. It makes you think twice about the concept of disability—that
ordinary people can’t hope to do what some of these individuals can do

3. 12/3/23, 6:58 AM It’s All in Your Perspective | Andy Blumenthal | The Blogs
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/its-all-in-your-perspective/ 3/6
effortlessly. This is especially often the case when it comes to STEM (science,
technology, engineering, and math), but it also applies to other areas as well.
In another sense, you can value people for their differences in all aspects. For
example, in the Washington, D.C., area, we’re all up at the crack of dawn, while
in New York City, it’s “the city that never sleeps.” So some of us are “night owls”
and others are “early birds,” but in the end, it works out perfectly because that
way we have the whole day covered!
Time Depends on How You Look At It
Even before Albert Einstein, Judaism was aware of the relationship between
time and space. Incredibly, the Hebrew word ‫ְלעֹוָלם‬ (L’Olam) means both
“forever” (in terms of time) and also “the world” (in terms of space). This is just
a small part of the genius of the ‫קודש‬ ‫לשון‬ (the holy language) of the Torah. So
in one sense, time and space are fused together, but in another dimension of
thinking, they can be pulled apart like the “Prime Directive” and theoretically
rearranged.
Rabbi Ari Soussan made a great comment about storytelling when he said, “It’s
all a true story; it just didn’t happen yet.” Therefore, rather than dismissing
works of the imagination, we can try to appreciate them anew.
Just Because Your Life Looks Good on Facebook Doesn’t Mean I’d
Trade With You
As much as we see people posting and bragging about their accomplishments,
how wonderful their family, friends, and communities are, how successful they
are at work, how many wonderful possessions (houses, cars, etc.) they have, and
how awesome all their vacations are, nobody wins at life all the time.
The truth of the matter is that everybody has their own basket of good and bad
in life, and you probably wouldn’t want to trade your basket for anybody else’s.

4. 12/3/23, 6:58 AM It’s All in Your Perspective | Andy Blumenthal | The Blogs
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/its-all-in-your-perspective/ 4/6
It reminds me of the saying, “Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes the
bear eats you.”
Fear and Hope Both End up With G-D
There is an interesting relationship between hope and fear. On one hand, fear
and hope seem like opposites. If you are feeling fearful, then you probably are
not very hopeful, and if you have hope for the future, then that dispels your
fears. However, both hope and fear can lead you to the same place, which is G-d.
When you are afraid, you seek G-d for guidance and salvation, and when you
have hope, it is anchored in belief in the love and grace of the Almighty. So both
hope and fear take you to the same endpoint, which is G-d Almighty.
All in all, we need to maintain a flexible mindset and avoid approaching the
world with rigid thinking, because when we do that, we miss out on so much
that can enrich our minds, touch our hearts, and uplift our souls.

5. 12/3/23, 6:58 AM It’s All in Your Perspective | Andy Blumenthal | The Blogs
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/its-all-in-your-perspective/ 5/6
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andy Blumenthal is a dynamic, award-winning leader who writes frequently about Jewish life,
culture, and security. All opinions are his own.
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