Perception

Perception is merely reality filtered through the prism of your soul

Christopher A. Ray

The image above is a common example on perception. What do you see? Some people can see a young women looking over her shoulder, others see a old women looking downwards, some see both, some neither.

Often what we see is filtered through our experiences and beliefs. So the question I ask today is "Is what you think is reality or just a perception?" Have you ever thought that you knew the truth of a situation, only to learn more information and have your opinion change?

There is an experiment that you may want to try that really can make your brain go "What the..?!

Get three buckets of water. In one place cold water, in the second have hot water and the third is filled with water at room temperature. After placing one hand in the cold bucket and the other in the hot water, simultaneously place both hands into the bucket at room temperature. Even though both hands are now in the same bucket, the hand that was in cold water now feels as if it is in hot water, while the one that was in hot water now feels as if it is cold water.

The point is that the same thing - in this case, the room temperature water - can be made to seem very different depending on the nature of the events that lead up to your experience.

So how do we know what is real and what is just our perception of reality? I'm not sure we can. Even Albert Einstein stated that "Reality was merely an illusion", meaning that what we class as real is actually just our interpretation of reality. This is why police often get very different statement from witnesses at a crime scene, they are reporting what they think they witnessed.

Here is another picture, like the one above there are two things in it that can be perceived. (I'll give you a hint: two animals)

I know personally I struggled with finding the second animal. I could find the frog happily sitting in its pond. But I needed someone with more experience or a different viewpoint to help find the second one. It was easy when they made me look at the picture from a different perceptive, like the one below

Now is the horse visible to you? Amazing how just by looking at something from another angle gives it a whole new meaning isn't it?

Now I ask that you try it with something in your own life. Picture an event, one that normally brings up strong negative emotions inside you. Now look at the situation from the other people involved point of view - how are they feeling and what are they thinking; then look at it from the perception an innocent onlooker - maybe a small child; and finally from the perception of a higher power (call it God or the Universe or whatever you like). Does this maybe change how you think and feel about the situation?

Would love to hear of your experiences with having a change of perception

Perception

Can we ever make a "bad" decision?

Nowhere can I find it written that decisions are meant to be easy. The choices we make are a mixture of intellect, intuition and instinct. And the more important the decision, the harder it seems to make it. Why is this so...?

I feel that it is because the perceived importance increases our fear of making the wrong choice and what might happen because of that. Remembering that our perception is only our impression and take on reality, while fear tends to disappear with knowledge and action.

You make millions of decisions on a daily basis. Do you agonise over each and every one? Decisions like what do I eat for breakfast; what will I wear today; will I go to work/school or the beach or will I use a black or blue pen? Now realise that these decisions will not dramatically change your life... or will they? How often was it something small in your life that when you look back, made a huge difference?

So how will you know which way to go and what to do? I suggest that with faith and using your intellect, intuition and instinct, you just pick one, any one really because it will not be wrong.

How can I say that? Because I believe that every decision made this way can serve our highest good and learning - that every choice leads to wisdom. So often, what others might term a "bad" decision have given me the best lessons in life.

What would have happened in the past if you had made different choices? Turned left instead of right, gone to a different school or accepted a different career or relationship choice, said yes instead of no...? Some things might have been great, some not so. In any case, you will never know. You have chosen this life, this way, this moment.

Are we alive to learn how to make an infallible decision so that everything turns out perfectly every time? Or is our lives about learning, discovery and finding wisdom? And what is a "wrong" decision anyway? Is you choose this instead of that and you go through a tough patch....does that mean that you made the wrong decision? is the easier path always the best one?

You might like to consider these questions - not because they will make decision-making any easier or bring you clarity, but because they will lead you into uncertainty and that leads to variety which we all know is the spice of life.

So from this perspective bad decisions, wrong decisions just don't exist. Some decisions will take you one direction and some another, but every direction will give you lessons and lead you to wisdom. There is no one technique to make a decision. Just remember that whatever decision you make is perfect for you at the time.

Your decisions also become part of others' lives - your family, friends, colleagues; they are a natural part of your learnings. Will you know what is ultimately the best direction to take?
Well ... no, you cannot. So doesn't it seems like a great thought to rely on the uncertainty or mystery of life and trust and have faith that every decision you make will lead you to the wisdom you need.

Can we ever make a "bad" decision?