Perception is Reality

Have you noticed that when someone creates an image of someone or something, it becomes their reality? If someone says to themselves "I can not run a marathon", they never will. It is now a reality. If someone says "That person is a jerk", everything that person does is now filtered through that view. Our thoughts are extremely powerful and have very strong control over how we see the world.

What is reality? Dictionary.com states reality is (1) the state or quality of being real; (2) resemblance to what is real; (3) a real thing or fact; (4) real things, facts, or events taken as a whole; state of affairs: the reality of the business world; vacationing to escape reality; (5) Philosophy: a. something that exists independently of ideas concerning it. b. something that exists independently of all other things and from which all other things derive; (6) something that is real; (7) something that constitutes a real or actual thing, as distinguished from something that is merely apparent. —Idiom; (8) in reality, in fact or truth.

But reality is actually what you see or believe you see. Our perceptions are what mold our reality. How many times in your life have you been surprised, stunned, disappointed, etc. because what you thought was real, wasn't? Love, intelligence, the perfect season (OK, that wasn't fair). But you understand my point.

Where am I going with this? Well there are two sides to this. One side is how you view the world will shape your reality. You have absolute control to change your world. This is what goals are all about. Believe you can do it and you can. Buddha said “All that we are is the result of what we have thought.”. Thoughts are powerful, use them wisely and with purpose. The other side is other people's perceptions. You can shape these too. Before you say, "That sounds a bit sinister,' think about this. How many times have you altered your behavior, attire, speech or demeanor to impress that other person so they would like you and go out on a date?

This is an excellent tool to change other people's perceptions of you. If your co-workers or boss think you are lazy, work to change that perception. This does not happen by walking up to them and saying "I'm not lazy." You must show them you are not lazy. Work hard and show them you are not. Gradually, you will force them to confront their perception of you and change it.

Now get out there and change the world.