Perception is Reality- How to Ride the Avalanches of Life

Studying sociology we understood that results of a survey or study is swayed by our methodology of gathering information (how we ask questions, who and what we target in the study, etc).  We have a tendency to come up with a concept and then seek for grounding support in fact and example.  You can easily see this in pharmaceutical studies that wish to sell you a new prescription for example.  It is how all of us view the world- what we wish to see, we shall see.   Patterns will come up to prove again and again the theory that we have held in our minds, because we want it to be true and are attuned to finding that which shall support it.  In this regard, we manifest our own reality by how we perceive things.  

Two people may experience the very same situation, let’s say a car wreck or a fight with someone you care about.  One person comes from the experience troubled and broken hearted- their car is destroyed, their relationship is destroyed, and they feel destroyed.  The other person comes from the experience with thankfulness and appreciation.  Instead of worrying about their car (or the issue of contention in the argument) and the money and/or energy that it would take to right all wrongs, they checked to make sure the other person involved was alright.  They extended themselves to the other person with kindness and discovered one of two things: the other person involved in the accident or argument either responds with fear, like a caged animal ready to bark and bite or hide away, or the other person opens themselves more vulnerably as well, connecting their relationship with you on a more intimate level.  When one looks upon another with kindness and sees suffering, it is easy to want to help settle the situation calmly and with love.  When one looks upon another with kindness and sees vulnerability, it is easy to want to help settle the situation calmly and with love.

In the first situation when you look upon the occurrence as horrible fortune, all of your focus will find fault in the event.  You will pick apart each instance and fret and worry and complain about it- how much it will cost, how your schedule got all screwed up, and all the ramifications.  Everything will be tainted with the taste of bitterness throughout your day, perhaps your week, and you will not only poison yourself with this negativity, but I daresay you will taint all those with whom you encounter while you’re in this funky perception.

Are you drowning or rising?

In the second situation, when you remain open and do not immediately resort to fear and negativity, you can start to perceive your situation on a completely different level.  It suddenly becomes clearer when you distance yourself from the ‘victim’ mentality.  “Why did this happen?  This is your fault!” and all of those horrible voices that scream such vile loathsomeness on self and others, cause us such a sense of dissension, separation, loneliness and despair.  With care you respond to the situation, knowing that the calm you bring will help calm the others involved and provide a baseline of sanity.  You are able to look at things without becoming enmeshed by the tangles of irrational reactionary responses, patterns we’ve seen others exhibit and those we’ve adopted ourselves, and instead consider things more rationally.  Malice from perceived injustice will blind you from truth, for it is not what you wish to see.  Release that, and you will find clarity.

Now, when you start to loosen your worry and fear when troublesome bumps occur in life, you will start to notice more occurrences of synchronicity that start to play in your life.  Pay Attention!!!  You remember all those people you have been nice to and have treated with kindness?  Well, they’ve been affected by this.  They’ve gone and done some kindness to others too, because they feel good and want to share it, just like you did and reminded them how we can respond to emotional situations.  Sometimes this kindness comes right back around to you and you can see it, and sometimes it comes back to you and you don’t even see the connection.   But know that it does, for everything you do makes a ripple.  Be certain of this. What ripple will you be making today?

If you do one mindful practice today, employ this awareness:
Notice how you react to things: Is it with fear or with love?

Fear lashes out.  Love opens up.

Fear hides away.  Love presents herself fully.

Fear seeks to divide. Love seeks to unite.

Fear hates itself and tries to make excuses and lay blame.  There is a feeling of unbalance, injustice; resentment, depression and assorted flavors of isolation may develop.  Trust is broken.

Love uses confidence and inner strength to see things with clarity and wisdom.  Truth is found.  Security is resolved.  Relationships are made deeper with trust.

What reality do you want to perpetuate for yourself?  Be conscious of how you move in the world, for it is by your own path that you make your own destiny.