Our Changing Perceptions of Reality

There are approximately seven billion people living at this moment, each of us with a distinct perception of reality. All perspectives are correct, yet all are wrong. Individually, we are a product of our senses, experiences and genetics. We are as similar as snowflakes, but unique. Fundamentally, our thoughts and emotions contribute color to the judgments surrounding our experiences. Simply expressed, it’s a feedback system of cause and effect. Do this and you get that. Do it again and you get that again. Do something else and get something different. Seems pretty obvious, at least to objective observers—yet when it involves deliberate change for the individual, clarity becomes elusive.

Everything we do, think and feel carries associations. We associate worry and nervousness with successfully passing an examination, for example. This is a false association which can actually contribute to failure. We can associate eating with everything from watching television to loneliness. We resort to these associations to give us a brief sense of comfort during periods of anxiety. These become habitual patterns, deeply ingrained. They DO work to relieve anxiety, temporarily. A shift in perspective is required in order to create a shift in our actions, thoughts and emotions permanently.

How many times have we heard or known of a person who had a near death experience, be it an illness or accident? Often they present themselves with a whole new set of priorities. A change has occurred in their priority system. Call it an awakening.

The good news is that we can all create that adjustment by choice. We CAN observe our actions, thoughts and emotions from the perspective of “does this work for me”. Then we CAN make choices. We can change our perception of reality to more closely coincide with the priorities of happiness and peace. Thoughts are a lot more malleable than scientists used to believe. Emotions, on the other hand, come and go quickly, with the swift movement of the moon. Once we place happiness at the top of our priority system rather than safety, everything changes. It IS a choice.