Positive Change

Most people know and understand that being positive is beneficial for us, yet it appears that there is always someone trying to rain on our parade. I would say that in the beginning, trying to be positive is like searching for silence in a noisy world. The world just appears so loud, overwhelming, and filled with noise, but you have this special, instinctive feeling and you know that silence exists. Most of these people are not intentionally trying to create obstacles, but instead trying to offer advice and support. Due to the way we are raised in society, many of us have been conditioned to react in certain ways. Whether it was preached to us from friends and family or ingrained into us from past experiences, the mind has been conditioned to react autonomously.

This is a case of Freud’s classical conditioning theory. Basically in his experiment, every time prior to feeding his dog, he would ring a bell and then bring out the food. He did this for a period of time and eventually the dog developed a symptom where it would salivate when the bell rang. The dog would still continue to salivate even if no food was offered as long as the bell rang. Salivation was not the dog’s intention, nor was it the dog’s conscious control. The theory applies to us as well. Throughout time, we have conditioned ourselves to our current mindset, attitude, and reactions. Most of the time, this is our subconscious acting out and we are not even aware of our actions.

Whether it would be phases like, “be realistic!” or “prepare for the worst and hope for the best!”; they act as limitations. It is actually a fear of unfavorable outcomes and it offers a temporary cushion of comfort. I understand that sometimes decisions do not appear in the best interests of the individual, but we should provide direction and support instead of shattering dreams. The world can be a very cruel place, but we are individuals that make up this world. If a thief decides to break into your car and steal your stereo, it doesn’t mean that you should go out and steal someone else’s stereo. If that was the case, the whole neighborhood would be thieves and this logic applies to attitude and mindset as well. The difference is that the act of stealing is an intentional act; whereas expressing your attitudes and mindset are unintentional and subconscious. Therefore, it can become quite contagious!

If you look deeply at families with a history of child abuse, domestic violence, or alcoholism, you will realize that it runs in the family and down the generations. Constant exposures to similar events and situations will shape and condition how you react in daily aspects of life. The solution to this dilemma is to open your eyes and become aware of the flaws in your character, accept it, and change them. Instead of thinking, “this is how I am and this is what I will be”; better yourself through discipline. Think about it this way: If you saw a horrible future for yourself, would you try to change it? I’m almost certain that you would. Now, take a look at your present life because you are initially shaping your future through your actions now. Before you smoke that cigarette, imagine the repercussions. You can change your future!

“The Earth is moving at tremendous speed around itself and around the Sun. We forget that we are actually sitting on a spaceship, only this spaceship is big, therefore we think it is static.”

It sounds exciting to me! I am on a spaceship with all my friends and family while I watch this spaceship get upgrades and facelifts. I have a home address that represents the location to my house and it does not change unless I move to a new residence, but is it at the same permanent location? The answer is no. From a universe standpoint, the location of our house moves every second. Relative to Earth, our house moves due to plate tectonics. If we look at a map from a few thousand years ago, the alignment of the continents will look drastically different. Things are always changing and have been for many years. The only ‘constant’ that I see is, the world is constantly changing. Do we want to change with it or be limited by our narrow perception?

Although we have been conditioned to respond in peculiar ways, it is not permanent and can be changed. As we correct the flaws in our character, we will be conditioning ourselves to respond positively and be able to project ourselves into the world. Changing ourselves, influencing our peers, and providing a positive influence that will shape our world. We can become better individuals while making our world a better place!

©2010 taneyism!. All Rights Reserved.

Lens of Perception

Misunderstandings, conflicts of interests, and arguments all stem from what I refer to as the “lens of perception”. Everyone in this world carries a different type of lens and it can vary by size, shape, color, and function. Some of us might use a wide angle; others might choose to zoom in. The images produced in our minds could also have varying effects, such as sepia, amber, grayscale, or black and white. The fact is, everyone is different and we perceive the world differently.

The “lens of perception” is based on how a person perceives and responds to the world. It varies among different people for a variety of reasons, such as a person’s genetic makeup, attitude, personality, influences from people, and the experiences endured throughout life. In the physiological aspect, we are all equipped with different components such as our brain, heart, eyes, ears, nose, tongue, hands, and feet. The sensory components report the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches to the mind, which processes it into life experiences. Our most brilliant thoughts and deepest feelings are essentially just depictions of our mind. For example, imagine yourself standing on an exquisite beach out in Cancun, Mexico on a sunny day enjoying the beautiful scenery, smelling the fresh sea breeze, and deeply experiencing a sense of euphoria. Could this be what you are really feeling or just what your mind wants you to feel? The man that resides a few miles from the beach feels normal and sees nothing astonishing; just a bunch of sand and noisy waves. This is not because he’s incapable of experiencing it, but rather his mind is clouded and has different objectives. If you took the man out of his environment and put him in a desert for a few months then send him back, it is likely that he would return to have different feelings and sensations from the beach. As we can see, the mind is actually our interpreter. It receives communications from our sensory components and tells us how we should feel, instead of what is actually being felt.

Unlike modern products we see on store shelves, we are precious products of nature; each created with uniqueness. Just look at it this way, given the ingredients and recipe to cook the same dish you had last night, would it be identical to the one from the restaurant? The answer is obviously, no. It might come close, but it would not be the same. As human beings, we are unique products from human creation just like cooking.

Being special and unique may have its downfall as well, but that’s not always the case. Throughout adolescence, I felt as though no one understood me. Most of my family were born and raised in another country with different beliefs and morals. It was hard for them to relate to me and vice versa. Since the world is constantly evolving and changing, I think this feeling toward our parents is very common and most of us can relate. Being understood is no longer an issue because I have realized that there are so many other people out there that I personally cannot understand. Often times, people will look at our lives from their own “lens of perception” which leads to misunderstandings. Even if we switched shoes with someone else and walked a thousand miles in them, we will not fully understand them. We will always be wearing our “lens of perception” (holding on to our beliefs, experiences, and influences), but we might be open to adjust our lens accordingly.

It is almost impossible to fully understand another person’s “lens of perception”. Whether we decide to analyze a painting, read a book, or admire the fireworks in the sky, we will all have varying interpretations of it. Even if we were at the same place at the same time, we will have encountered different experiences. The main point is not to understand another person’s “lens of perception”, but rather understand that it’s perfectly normal for them to perceive differently. When you become aware of this concept, you will potentially minimize conflicts and possibly resolve issues.

We all share different perspectives, it’s really just different shades of reality. I have always wished that I could share my lens with other people. Whether I choose to write, draw, or act, it will be a limited presentation. Writing is based on language, which is inadequate because some things are not capable of being expressed in terms of words. Bias occurs when people attach particular experiences, feelings, and emotions to different things. In writing, the bias is the attachment to words. Drawing the picture of my mental image might be a better approach, but bias exists due to the interpretation of objects, shapes, and colors. Acting out the same experiences might seem clearer, but people will view significance in different parts than intended; just like how I described the Cancun example up above.

Since the lens is inseparable, all we can do is adjust and fine tune it to provide the best experience. It’s a two-way feedback system: how we choose to see the world, will vary how we respond to it as well. By learning to shape your lens, you will involuntarily shape your reality. My life has changed drastically for the better ever since I became aware of the “lens of perception”. I am able to share my views without feeling the need to make people understand. Some people will never understand us no matter how hard we try to justify ourselves. By utilizing and becoming aware of this idea, there’s no need to waste your breath, time, and energy when the outcome is essentially the same. There are certainly times when you should be convincing and persuasive, but be aware that in certain circumstances, you should just “agree to disagree”. Thank you for letting me share my “lens of perception”!

I would now like to thank Hal Zina Bennett for sharing his “lens of perception” with me in his book titled “The Lens of Perception: A User’s Guide to Higher Consciousness”. It is currently my favorite book and I recommend it to everyone!

©2010 taneyism!. All Rights Reserved.

Attitude, Personality, Mindset, Perception

My mother once told me that if I want to change my luck and future, it all beings with changing my attitude, personality, mindset, and perception. As I started to correct flaws and enhance strengths in my character, I began to understand what she was talking about.

In our current society, we tend to overlook many factors, such as our influence in the world. For example, the smile you gave to your neighbor might have had a domino effect and made many people’s day brighter. When you start changing yourself from the inside, it will show on the outside. Before you even realize it, you will be changing the world.

Along the way, you will attract people like yourself and build networks that will be beneficial on your course to success. You will also become happier and healthier as well. As you can see: Change yourself for the better, make your future and the world a better place!

©2010 taneyism!. All Rights Reserved.