Perceptual positions: The power of the third position

The weather is nice, at last the summer has started  in Europe.  It is like people come alive again. Holiday has started, my house is a busy buzz with the kids around. Being used to nice weather all
year around I now have  a sudden need  to seize every moment of the  sun and outdoor social life, while work is piling up, I am nearly experiencing stress.  Finding a new balance as we gradually get used to our new life in Europe is challenging. 

I have noticed that balancing family time, work time and respecting my own as well as individual needs in my family helps  our transition to re-adopted in Belgium in many ways. Realizing and respecting that each family member copes with this transition at their own pace and sometimes need some space and time alone too. 
 
Taking different perceptive or perceptual position on a situation can help you understand and so cope better with any transition in life.  

The strength of the perceptual position lies in experiencing  a situation from different angles or  positions outside of the view you may normally hold. This new perspective can shade new insides on how you are living your life.

First position: self-awareness: how do I experience the situation? Are my needs met? Is my life in balance? 
 
Second position: empathy: how do the others experience the situation? Are their needs met? Are their lives in balance?  Stepping  into the other person shoes  as if you were using their eyes and ears. 

Third position: objectivity:  third position is a good position from which to study yourself and your relationships. Think of it like being a bird in the corner of the room watching those down there. 
 
It is good to take some time to stand in the third position and overlook your own actions, disassociation yourself for a moment to observe yourself gently and with kindness, without judging yourself nor the others. 
 
Being aware of the strengths and the pitfalls of each perceptual position can help you deal and
explore  the most appropriated action aligned with a given situation. 
 
What position do you usually take?  Can taking a second or third position shade a new perspective on your situation? How flexible are you switching between different positions? What happens when you
get stuck in one position?