Perspective

(an excerpt from the 2026 BTBB Conference opening)

Life runs on perspective.

And perspective is one of the few things we actually get to choose.

Every day, we are presented with countless ways to interpret what is happening around us. Some are useful. Some are noisy. Some are simply incomplete. The modern world moves fast, and it is designed to capture attention, spark emotion, and keep us engaged. That is not inherently bad. It just means we have to be intentional.

Attention is valuable.

Focus is valuable.

Energy is valuable.

When perspective narrows, moments can feel heavier than they are. A challenge can feel permanent. A tough day can feel defining. Tension can start to feel normal. But that is not reality. That is just one angle.

We all see life through a lens.

What lens are you using?

You already have one. Most of us didn’t consciously select it. We absorbed it over time. From childhood. From our environment. From what we observed, repeated, and internalized.

That lens is shaped and reinforced by the story we tell ourselves. Some stories are empowering. Others are simply outdated. The important part is this: stories can be updated.

For a long time, I assumed perspective was fixed. Like eye color. Like height. Something you are born with. And I was comfortable with that, because I consider myself optimistic.

But experience taught me something else.

Perspective is flexible. It responds to challenge. It evolves with awareness. If it can be shaken, it can also be strengthened.

Even people who lean cynical have moments of optimism. Even the most optimistic among us have moments of doubt. That tells us something important.

Perspective is not an identity.

It is a skill.

And skills can be trained.

We can change how we interpret our experiences.

We can change how we respond to them.

We can change what we carry forward.

That matters, because perspective quietly influences everything.

Happiness.

Work.

Money.

Relationships. With people and with ideas.

All of it passes through the lens we put on each morning.

Here is something worth naming clearly.

Many people inherit a worldview before they ever examine it. Stress becomes familiar. Scarcity feels practical. Criticism feels like motivation. Eventually, all of it gets labeled as ‘just how life is’.

It is not.

It was simply a starting point.

And here is another important reframe.

If someone spoke to you in a way that made you feel smaller at any point in your life, that was not a verdict on you. It was a signal about them. Confident people do not need to diminish others. Secure people do not fear potential. Encouraging people create room for growth.

There is a story from the UK comedy scene that has always stayed with me.

Years ago, there was a very successful comedian who would attend amateur nights. After the shows, he'd go backstage. He didn’t spend time with the weakest performers. He went directly to the standouts. The ones with timing, presence, confidence.

And he'd casually tell them they weren’t very good.

Not loudly.

Not cruelly.

Calmly.

As if offering expert feedback.

Why?

Because confidence is powerful.

And early confidence accelerates growth. This guy knew that if he could introduce doubt early, some of those performers would stop showing up. Stop experimenting. Stop putting in the reps.

Strong people grow through repetition.

On the flipside, weak strategies rely on interference.
Although this guy definitely put in the rep interfering with others confidence.

Asshole.

If someone ever tried to shrink you, it wasn’t wisdom.
It was insecurity.
And you do not need to carry that forward.

As adults, we are handed something meaningful.
Choice.

We can choose our work.

We can choose our inputs.

We can choose what we reinforce.

Yet many people never update the lens.
We call it ‘personality’.
We call it ‘being realistic’.
We call it ‘just how we are’.

It's none of those things.

It is simply unreviewed acceptance of other peoples opinions and influence.

Here's the adult responsibility that changes everything; choose the mindset you want to live with.

Because you live with your inner voice every day. You train it, whether you mean to or not.

So here's a tool I use, especially around big decisions, big losses, or big wins.

Time based perspective

Will this matter next week?

Next year?

Ten years from now?

That is the filter.

First, it creates space. Slower thinking is better thinking. Most poor decisions are rushed decisions. Emotion mistaken for certainty.

Second, it restores proportion. It reconnects you to reality instead of reaction.

I use this personally.

I am not my worst financial decision.

I am a capable person who took a calculated risk and learned from the outcome.

Would I make the same decision again?

Possibly.

So what is there to dwell on?

Learn.

Adjust.

Continue.

I am not defined by a loss.

I am defined by my ability to keep earning, building, and improving.

When you zoom out, noise fades. Meaning sharpens.

When you include future-self thinking, it sharpens even more. When the future feels real, discipline becomes easier. You stop treating today-you like a throwaway version of yourself.

The Stoics understood this intuitively. Marcus Aurelius wrote:

“You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.”

That is not pessimism.

It's prioritization.

It reminds us that not everything deserves our energy. Many things that feel urgent are simply loud. Or emotional. Or temporary.

What you need is a lens that makes you effective.

So use time horizons intentionally.

10 minutes.
Slows impulsive responses.

1 week.
Stops unnecessary spirals.

1 year.
Encourages systems over reactions.

10 years.
Clarifies identity.

Perahaps the simplest summary of all of this is:

Time does not magically fix things.

Time creates space.

Space creates clarity.

Clarity drives better reps.

This model is not about comfort.

It's about capability.

And once you see clearly, momentum follows.

DW