Two Sides of Every Coin

In everyone's narrative, you're either heads or tails

At one time or another, we’ve all flipped a coin to decide something. Whether it’s who gets the ball first at a sporting event or who has to finalize dinner plans, the coin is tossed into the air while both parties anxiously wait for either “heads” or “tails” to settle the issue. Outside of a quick game of “rock, paper, scissors,” the coin is the single greatest equalizer when it comes to making decisions because there is an identical chance for both sides to win.

The coin perfectly represents two different sides uniting as one single object.

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about perception. More specifically, how I play a different character in everybody’s story even though I’m only one person. For example, I know that in some people’s narratives I’m a terrible human being, while I’m viewed as a true blessing in others.

The odd thing is that none of it has anything to do with the person I am. It’s taken me over half a century to realize that the lens others view me through is colored by their personal views, agendas, beliefs, and individual experiences. The same is true for every person on the planet:

• Some people see your effervescent personality as charming and endearing while others see it as annoying.

• Some people think you’re weak and overly emotional, yet others feel safe to be themselves around you because you’re authentic.

• Some people think you’re rude and selfish while others respect how you stand up for your beliefs.

Yet none of it has anything to do with who you really are as a person. What we all need to understand is that none of us has any control over how other people view us. Trying to control which side of the coin people use to perceive us is a fool’s mission. The only thing that truly matters is what you genuinely see in yourself.

So, which is it? Heads or tails?