Tag Archives: Perception

22

Seeing Both Sides Now

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Look at things in a way that benefits you. Change your perception.  

Two different people can look at the same thing and see something different. One may know an insurmountable roadblock, and it causes them to give up. Another comes to the same barrier and sees an opportunity, a way to get ahead or discover something new about the world or themselves.

It is the same situation, but we create the value or limits of that situation in our minds. If you believe it is an end, then it is an end. If you think it is the beginning, then it is the beginning. Your perception of anything will determine your thoughts, feelings, words, and actions about that thing. Look at the way you look at things.

Fair and Unfair

There are going to be challenges faced in every life. Nobody lives from birth until death and never sees any adversity, and that would be a life with very little growth in it. The challenges we face will force us to look at them and react to them as we see fit. The reaction you learn to have will determine if you are successful or not in life. One of the biggest lessons we can learn is to see everything as an opportunity and not something that will hold us back.

Many things happen in our lives; some seem reasonable and fair, and others are seemingly unfair and difficult. How we label a crisis doesn’t change the dynamics of what that emergency entails. All things are how we see them. Is it an overwhelming end of the world? Or is it an opportunity to learn something or experience something else you might have previously recognized as impossible? The choice there is all in your head, and how you decide to perceive it, you will make a choice. It is never what comes your way but how you react to it that determines your destiny. If you still have breath, then you can always make a choice. That is the fairest thing about life.

Some things to Focus On

There are a few things about perspective to think about. Maintain some objectivity when something happens. It isn’t easy to let our emotions get involved when something happens. Fear, anger, frustration, or other negative emotion often raises their ugly head. Work to keep an even keel, and look at the whole picture before you react off the cuff or on the fly. Then put the negative away.

Choose to see the good in a situation if it is possible. Sometimes this can be nearly impossible, but it will allow you to focus your energy on how to overcome the difficulty and move toward success. If you can learn to ignore what limits and bothers other people, you will be a step ahead and near the front. Then focus on what can be controlled and work to manage those things.

What is your perspective?

How are you looking at the things in your way today? Are they too big to manage? Do you feel like quitting? Or are you seeing them as the opportunity they are? How you answer these questions will probably be a determining factor in how things will play out for you.

“Our understanding is correlative to our perception.”- Robert Delaunay

“There are things known, and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception. “—Aldous Huxley

“One has not only an ability to perceive the world but an ability to alter one’s perception of it; more simply, one can change things by the manner in which one looks at them.”     Tom Robbins

 

22

Honest Soul

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There seem to be many layers of human behavior I can’t seem to grasp, in others and myself.  Why we are not more honest is one of them. I was told once that all people lie at least once every day. I argued against that, but after analyzing my behavior, I can see that there are times we are all less than honest, despite one’s good intentions. They may be white lies not to hurt someone’s feelings, but an untruth is an untruth. So my hope is that after reading this, and thinking about our behavior, one will be conscious of how honest they are in thought, words, and actions every day of life.

White Lies

We must agree on the first honest thing is, “we are all experienced liars.” Everyone has done it for various reasons, but honesty about that is an excellent place to start. White lies are the “harmless” lies we tell others to avoid causing unnecessary pain. These fibs may be a good practice, but I would rather know the truth. When you lie in this fashion, you choose someone else, what they can deal with, and what information they need.

What is the limit when it comes to being dishonest? Where do you draw the line? Become conscious of your thoughts when it comes to honesty. Be aware of the words you choose and take action to be more honest in life. I believe that even moral wrongs are still wrong. Give people in your life the power to decide how to deal with things. That is how they will develop. It isn’t your responsibility to hide the truth in any way.

Deception and Perception

All you need to do is look at social media accounts, and you will see that honesteveryone is very talented at crafting a story of their life. They want others to see. Many of our thoughts, words, and actions are less than honest because we show what we want the world to see. It is natural to want to shine the most favorable light on your life, but it is still not honest. The things we omit are still not accurate. What other people think doesn’t matter. It is all just a thought in your mind of fear.

What kind of world would this be if people were honest all the time? Most people are guarded in this way because we are afraid that we couldn’t be accepted if people knew the truth. In relationships, this is also true. We all “hide our crazy” initially because we fear that nobody could take us if they knew about the flaws. Yet, I argue it is the flaws that create the masterpiece, the uniqueness that is beautiful in its own right. People are afraid to be honest because some may reject them. Be realistic about who you are and what you think in thought, word, and action. Those who run from simple words or actions make your life better by leaving. Let them go.

Value of Truth

If you took all the money in the world away, what value do we each have? The amount of honesty we bring to the world is the highest currency there would be. There is comfort in being honest in life. If you do not accept lies from yourself, it is easy to spot them in others. How correct someone else decides to be is their karma and their problem. You can only worry about yourself and the level of honesty you bring to the world. I think that to be the best version of yourself, being honest about your actions and, more importantly, your feelings are a requirement.

Spend as little time possible worrying about how your thoughts, words, or actions will affect others or their perception of you and be concerned about being honest. In the end, your name is all that you have anyway. Focus on sincerity throughout the day. Make a note of anything less than truthful. Please correct it. See what happens.

The main reasons people don’t always tell the truth are:
  • Fear of harm: The most straightforward reason to understand why we lie is for self-protection, including self-deception, to prevent damage to ourselves. This harm can be either physical or mental.
  • Fear of conflict: To some degree, we all fear to argue.
  • Fear of punishment: When growing up, how often did we lie about how well we did in school or started fighting? How often do we cover up our mistakes and transgressions?
  • Fear of rejection: Sometimes, our insecurities are the foundation of why we lie to each other because we want to remain popular in our relationships. Typically, it is harmless boasting to make ourselves appear more admirable to other people.
  • Fear of loss: This is usually the loss of personal objects, such as money or expensive valuables. Greed is the foundation for this reason and can be found in us. We often lie to make ourselves more desirable to other people too. Most conventional, people lie for fear of alienating their significant other. Other times, when our self-esteem starts to decline, we even lie to ourselves as a means to prevent loss of morale.
  • Altruistic Reasons: We often lie to help our friends and loved ones. How often do we flattery someone to make them feel better? Or don’t tell the whole truth because we are afraid of hurting someone’s feelings? Telling something you don’t think is true to make them feel better is the only selfless reason we lie.

“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” -Thomas Jefferson

“Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.” – Spencer Johnson

“Honest hearts produce honest actions.”- Brigham Young

 

Life

Perception

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Our perception of situations will dictate all of our actions and the emotions we feel in any case. We don’t often pay attention to that any situation provides perceptions in any number of different ways.  Each viewpoint brings other emotions, a different thought process, and a different reality to the perceiver.  So how you perceive things in your mind will directly affect the fact that you experience.  So it is essential to understand your perception is one of the keys to consciousness and creation.  Look at your thoughts, words, and actions in any situation and see if you perceive it negatively or positively. You do have a choice because perception is an ongoing process of cause and effect.

Negative Perception

Our perception is a direct result of our thought process. When a situation occurs, we immediately provide a thought to it, leading to emotion. That emotion leads to chemicals released into the brain and neural pathways created.  If your view is directly about fear, lack, anger, judgment, or any other negative emotion, your brain is hardwiring to build a negative perception of this experience.  Usually, it seems there is a fear of being hurt at some level and that self-preservation drives our natural comprehension. But only if you don’t take control.

Turning around negative perceptions is as simple as changing your mind.  Easy to say, challenging to do, but anyone can accomplish this if they try.  The key is to be in touch with your emotions. People don’t feel angry, threatened, sad, happy, joyous, or anything else for no reason. There is always a catalyst event that causes emotion.  Look at the reason you are feeling the way you are. It is still the thought you attach to in any situation. Changing your thoughts is a conscious process.

Feel a negative emotion welling up. Stop! Just for a second and recognize the catalyst for negative perception. It is a replay of some experience. Can you let it go? Situations contain the charge of negativity or positivity based on our understanding alone.  Can you look at the circumstances and release the negative and relax into a more positive emotion.  Peace, love, kindness, gratitude, excitement, or hope are good examples of positive emotions.

Positive Perceptions

Once you recognize the negative and replace it with positive alternatives, your neural pathways will be built, which reflect this.  Many people seem to spend much of their lives focused on the negative of everything they see. Fighting with people for no other reason than to prove they are right.  Right and wrong is only one’s perception and letting go of the emotions around what other people think differently from you is healthy and necessary to build your consciousness.

No matter how intelligent you feel you are or how much you think you understand the world, you have little control over the perceptions of others. We are all playing the same game, but we most likely are at different locations on the board.  Perceive others with kindness and understanding rather than judgment. If you let someone else dictate your emotions, you lose your power. Keep your potential by controlling how you perceive the experiences in your life — kindness, hope, caring, understanding, acceptance, gratitude, and love.

You do You

People seem to invest a lot of time to attempt to control the perception that others have of them. This view creates through social media; people show the best sides and create an image they want you to perceive. It seems like we would do a lot better in the world by just being ourselves and letting everyone else be who they are.  Social media is addictive because it allows you to both be a voyeur into the lives of others and to create snap judgments about others.

Worry about yourself because that is the only person you can control. Your experiences and your thoughts about them are a single perception that matters.  Spending time in judgment is negative and limits your ability to create positively. Make choices that honor you, that you are proud of and can stand behind.  There is no need to force your beliefs on another because it doesn’t matter what they think. That is their perception. Let them grow in their way.  Focus on your perception, and it starts with your thoughts, words, and actions. 

“It is above all by the imagination that we achieve perception and compassion and hope.” Ursula K. Le Guin

“The difference between ordinary people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure.”   John C. Maxwell

Perception-the ability to see, hear or become aware of something through the senses.

 

21

Grateful

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What are you most grateful for?

gratitude 111It is a difficult task indeed to start to think about what you are most grateful for. Many people will say money. Some will say, love. Some will say, family. Some will say something else entirely.

I am thankful for all these things, but to me, there is no doubt that showing your gratitude is the most important thing to do. The feeling of gratitude is important.  So for me, I guess the act of feeling grateful is the thing I am most grateful for today.  Here is why.

Taking things for Granted

gratitude-quotes-16I was the type of person who took many great things in my life for granted. Not appreciating the things that people did for me out of the goodness of their hearts. Yet, I was not grateful. In fact, I think I felt entitled to all the things I had in my life.

 The problem with that is that you are never pleased with what you have but are always angry or worried about what you don’t have. This is the problem with a lack of gratitude. No matter how much you get, you are never pleased.

When You Lose Everything, You are Grateful for Anything

GratefulIn my life, I had the good fortune to lose everything. In that time of turmoil, many feelings of self-pity and anger eventually will consume you or push you to make changes.  I decided to change.

 It started with a change in attitude. The sun didn’t rise and set because I existed, and I could make a decision every day to decide how that day to be happy.  Happiness started with a realization of how lucky I was to have anything at all.

That realization expressed provides the feeling of gratitude. When it comes to events that are difficult to deal with, your designation of either good or bad is your perception of the experience.  The experience is still the same. You might as well be grateful for it.

Gratitude leads to more Gratitude.

Once you take a moment to express your gratitude each day, it has been my experience that deepakthe momentum will build, and you will find more in your life to be grateful for.  I have read that the act of being grateful is one of the most important emotions that you can experience because it opens the door for more things to enter your life that will deserve gratitude.

So I am most grateful for the time I take each day to appreciate fully what I experience in my life every day.  Away from labels of good or bad, they are experiences that provide all of the situations that combine to teach me the things I need to know to follow my purpose.  It is the moments of thankfulness that we find what is great in ourselves.

What are you most grateful for?

 

 

21

Doors

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“There are things known, and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception.” – Aldous Huxley

SHORPY_8d27251a.previewI came across this quote today, and it stuck in my head. It was worth a little thought. Maybe too little. Do you know what is important to you? Do you know the meaning of life? Do you know what your inner nature is? Do you see the power of your thoughts? What happens when this physical life ends?

We don’t know many things, and we are looking for the doors that will bring us into knowledge and understanding of a new life. This quote is said to have been the inspiration for the band the Doors to choose their name. Jim Morrison was on to something, but it makes me think about our perceptions of our realities and how foggy the unknown can make our lives.

What You See Isn’t Always What you See

a Julian Beever’s pavement drawing. amazing!!
Julian Beever’s pavement drawing. Amazing!!

There are whole industries created in marketing that show that our perception will see what they want us to see. That is how they control the marketing dollars by turning your perception of reality into wanting their product. There are also many artists who

An entire generation were lied to about the harm of tobacco products, but good advertisements made the perception of cigarettes positive.
They misled an entire generation about the harm of tobacco products, but good advertisements made the perception of cigarettes positive.

Create incredible images that manipulate our perceptions. Two-dimensional drawings which appear three-dimensional.  These trick your eye into believing something that is not there. How many things in our lives are doing the same thing?  Showing us what we already assume we are looking at, but it is something different. The only way to discern the truth of these perceptions is to investigate them thoroughly. Unfortunately, many people are living in a walking sleep and have no interest in finding the truth. Find the truth and change your perception. Open a new door.

Our Story Can Change

city3All of us have a story that we tell about our lives. It explains who we are and how we have come this far in life. Our trials and triumphs take center stage in this tale about our existence. BUT what happens if you change the story? What happens if you add something new and exciting or remove something devastating and sad? How does your perception change, and more importantly, how does someone else’s perception of you change?

Only by changing the story you tell can you change your perception of yourself. Give it a try. Change that tragedy to a win. Talk about it and see if it turns your descriptions.

Open The Doors of Perception

williamblake396783To understand people better and get fundamental knowledge of yourself, let’s open up these doors to the unknown. All things in your reality come down to the decisions that you make. Decide to be more accepting and open-minded about all facets of life, rather than force-feeding yourself the same old story about something you encounter. Look at it from a new point of view.

Engage in reading books that teach you something or videos about topics you want to learn. As your mind expands with new information, your perception of life is going to change. It has no choice, and it will not go back to what you perceived before.

The more we learn, the more we move into the unknown, the more doors we open. The more entries we begin, obviously, the greater our perception of the world around us. To expand your mind with more thought and knowledge, and the treasures of the world may just be yours. 

Wayne Dyer’s famous quote: “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”   This quote tells us that our perceptions of the world are under our control, and it is our choices and decisions that make up our perception of reality.

What are you looking at today that brings a negative perception into your life?

20

Time

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Make your Time Count

Don't Waste Time
You can’t recycle this one.

No matter who you are, where you live, how much money you have or what you do in your spare time, we each have an account that we are continually making withdrawals from and cannot make deposits.

Everyone in the world has a finite, fixed sum in this account, and still, most waste a significant portion of the capital available.  Time is the currency in this account, and you are spending it with every minute of your existence.

The question you always have to ask yourself is, “Am I spending my investment wisely or not?”  Here is something you already know:  time will run out on you someday. Do your best to leave no unfinished business behind you.

Make your time What You Choose

Time is a concept developed to help us keep track of the days, it is entirely arbitrary as you can’t see it, touch it or feel it, but it is always with you.  Each day is a block of time that you have the opportunity to mold into whatever you want.

There is a virtually unlimited possibility of thoughts and accomplishments that you can experience each day.  You can decide to exercise, read, drive, bounce up and down mindlessly, or anything else you want to do.

If you choose to use your mind to think and your body to act, there is no telling what you might be able to accomplish in the hours you are awake.

Your Hour Glass is Running Out

Hour Glass of time
what if we each had an hourglass that showed how much time we have left?

If we all had hourglasses that showed us how much time we had left, would today have more meaning if you knew it was going to be one of your last?

Personal perspective always affects the way we experience time.  I have spent days with people who I love that have passed like an instant.

Conversely, I have spent minutes with people I didn’t enjoy, which seemed like days.  Either way, it was my perception of the moment that affected how the time felt to me.

Your perception of time is the same, and knowledge is all attitude.  If you have to go to work, it is up to you whether you enjoy that time and it passes quickly or if it is drudgery and the hands of time move slowly.

If you knew that you had five days left to live, how much would you enjoy each morning?  Would you ever hit the snooze button?  Would you look at your hourglass and the ever emptying sand and think, just seven more minutes of sleep?  I don’t think anybody would.

Today’s Time is all you Have

Time is one commodity that becomes more and more valuable every day.  I know that as I move through life there is no guarantee about tomorrow and even if I get every tomorrow

steve jobs time is out
How much money would Steve Jobs have given for a little more time?

coming, the game is at best half over, and realistically closer to the end than that.

That does not depress me or worry me too much because the end will come whether I stress out about it or not.

I feel that if I enjoy every day, then I am doing everything I can to make the most of the time I have.  Most of us will not have a warning that the end is here; it will just be here.  Your hourglass will run out, and the game will be over.

Time Challenge To You

So My challenge to you is to make your time count. You don’t have to cure cancer, or build a skyscraper, or do anything complicated at all.  All I ask you to do is think about what you are doing, enjoy the experience, and choose to be happy about the day that you are living.

Every day that you are alive, you can decide to be happy.  That is a challenge, but I think you will find it to be a good one. Because in the end, it is your choice of what great things you are going to accomplish and how happy you are.

 The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. – Leo Tolstoy

 Time is money. – Benjamin Franklin

 Time waits for no one. – Folklore

 Better three hours too soon than a minute too late. – William Shakespeare

 Lost time is never found again. – Benjamin Franklin

 Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend. – Theophrastus

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If the average human lifespan was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?

824608195_6804595553_940581fe4e_xlargePerception has a lot to do with the way that we live.  We all walk through life with no real idea when the game is going to be over and our flame will be snuffed out.

I think that when you are young you don’t often think about death too much because in all likelihood you are going to have many years before that becomes relevant to you. Yet there is no way of knowing.

 I would like to think that I would not change very much because since I am already over that span, I think each day would be just awesome.  I feel that way now.  But what might have changed earlier in life?

Would Life have Meant More?

There is no doubt that the time that we spend growing up or finding ourselves would have to be somewhat shorter.  I know of others who are like me, and found that it takes some skill to play this game called life.  What your think and do for and to others matters.

live like ur dieing I doubt that people would put off the experience of becoming parents, because there is no time to put it off to.  Those days in your twenties now when you can spend time just partying and letting everything take care of itself would have to be reduced or maybe even eliminated.  The days that you do have would be more relevant and meaningful. So much more would need to be packed into less years.

I know this because I can feel it myself right now, as I look ahead and realize how fragile life is and that mine could be over any moment.  This realization becomes clearer and more imperative as each day passes.

 I think I would cherish each and every day as I aged through my thirties, making sure I was at peace with the world and at peace with myself.

Below is a video about The Oldest Man in Pilgrim Village.

Change in Education

Rather than continually groom us to be ready some day to contribute to society, I think the system would have to be streamlined in order for those who are gifted and motivated to actually start to accomplish something as soon as they can.

Perhaps this thought should be taught?
Perhaps this thought should be taught?

Rather than be forced through a system that is outdated and antiquated, young people and parents would have a real motivation to find a purpose for their life at least twice as fast as they do now.  We would still need doctors, yet it would seem counter productive by using our current system, by the time they graduated, many would simply die.  People would have to rethink the cookie cutter education and brain washing we current perpetuate.

Would Conformity be Important

I wonder is people would worry about fitting in so much if lives were about half as long as they are now?  Personally, the feeling that I have developed over the past two years, that life is too short to worry about what somebody else thinks about me, would have occurred to me much earlier on in life.

Perhaps the whole enlightenment that many people experience in their 40’s would be moved up because what would be the point of life, if we never realized there was a point to life?

On the other hand, conformity may be your best chance to thrive and survive a bit longer.  Fitting in can fool a lot of people for a long time.

Wisdom at a Premium

Finally I think that wisdom and the thoughts that lead to an understanding of life, whether through the spoken word or through art would be non-existent   Even though many people are very intelligent, early in life, few of these have any understanding of the deeper questions in life.

dance_like_no_one_is_watching_by_eat_at_joes_56Who are you? What is heaven? Why is love important? How should you treat others?  I can’t say I am an expert in any of these questions, yet I can clearly state that they are things I contemplate now which I never even conceived of back before I turned 40.

Since this is my writing and I only have my experience to go by, I believe that the thoughts of the wise in this society where 40 was the average lifespan.

To conclude this little dream, I would simply state that the average lifespan is in the 70’s. You may be close to this or far away. It is your responsibility to yourself to decide how you will live your life.  I hope that whatever those decisions entail, family, friends  politics, law school, or whatever that you pursue them with all of the enthusiasm and vigor that you possibly can.

If the average human lifespan was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?

Live like you were dyin’

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