When we look at the world, do we see things how they are? Or how we think they should be? Do we see everything there is to see? Often, when we see something one way it becomes locked in our minds and we fail to be open to other possibilities.
In this image "My Wife and My Mother in Law" by W.E.Hill, do you see a young woman or an old woman? Maybe you see both? What you see is not necessarily what someone else sees.
Perception is the gateway between our internal world, what goes on in our head, and the external world, how we interpret what's going on around us.
Neuroscientists tell us that a third of the brain's cortex is engaged in vision, making it our most prioritized sense. We make the mistake of thinking that we see like a camera, but really it's like a camera with many filters on it. A filter which represents our past experiences, one that takes into account our beliefs (and prejudices) a filter which is focused on what we 'expect' to see (sometimes the worst, sometimes the best).
Why is that? Well, the amount of information that we can actually see at any given point in time is quite small. Neuroscientists agree that we construct what we need to see in the moment. It isn't necessarily what's there. Your brain fills in the gaps, it projects your feelings and emotions and experiences onto a situation before it interprets.
Who we are is influencing what we see. We see things as WE are, not necessarily as it is.
Therefore, it's important to know WHO you are.
- What if you could learn to develop a greater awareness of how you perceive the world, what skews and biases you might have and how to readjust them?
- What if you could learn how to spot when your mind is playing tricks and how to 'reset' for accuracy?
- What if you could learn practical tools to gain clarity and confidence?
- What impact would that have in your life?
Just being aware of what's going on in your mind will really help you make better decisions in your life, it will help you step back from emotionally charged difficult situations so that you can take the step that's right for you and is best for you in your life. If you change your perception, if you change how you look at the world you can change your world.
If you want to take this thinking further and learn more about the illusions that may be happening in your life you can watch a short video here. There is also a downloadable exercise which you can start using right away to reframe how you perceive the world around you.