Which of These 3 Lenses is Your Primary Driver?

As we listen deeper to our bodies and elevate our health as a value in our lives, we walk the earth attuned, resilient and nourished. — Tamara Levitt

A couple of months ago, I attended a virtual talk given by Mike Staver, a leadership and executive coach who is a popular speaker in the real estate industry. One thing that Mike said that resonated with me was that there’s no time in recent memory when we have had our health, money, and freedom challenged at the same time.

We View Life Through Three Lenses

Staver introduced the idea that we see life through three lenses:

• health
• money
• freedom

Right now these lenses are in conflict for many people.

The gift in every conflict is that it offers us an opportunity to clarify our values and choose what is most important to us.

Although we may look through all three lenses, each of us has a primary lens we use.

In the days after attending Mike’s talk, I started to see this frame everywhere — in my decisions, in the actions of others, and in the broader collective.

Applying This Frame to COVID

We can see this frame at work during the COVID crisis, both on individual and state levels.

Some people have been resistant to quarantine because they view it as a restriction of their freedom, while others are concerned about the financial impact.

Nobody loves wearing a mask, but we do it because we believe it will help protect our health and the health of those around us. Some people may not believe masks have much value against COVID, but they’ll wear a mask if it means they can get back to work. And some people refuse to wear masks because they view it as an infringement on their freedom.

Some states opened early because they were in a rush to restart their economies, but now are experiencing a surge in COVID cases. They placed money over health, and now they’re paying the price with longer restrictions on freedom and a sacrifice in health and money.

Choosing Priorities

Staver’s frame of money/health/freedom reminds me of the famous story about the Dali Lama:

The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, answered “Man! Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

The first time I heard this I recognized myself in it. Years of health issues helped me shift my values.

Now I believe that health confers a wealth beyond the value of money and the freedom to enjoy life to its fullest.

When health, money, and freedom are in conflict, health ranks first.

What’s Your Primary Lens?

Health, money, and freedom tend to be values high on the list of many people. But one ranks higher than the others.

Looking at your decisions through this frame will help you see which one is your primary lens.

Then you can ask yourself whether that’s the primary lens you want.

If not, you get to change it.