Perception: How Do You View The World?

“Anybody who's ever gone through a hard time - any outsider's perception, no matter how much information they're given, they have no idea what the person's life is like”

Amy Grant

Let us look at the definition of Perception:

1.  The act of perceiving; cognizance by the senses or intellect; apprehension by the bodily organs, or by the mind, of what is presented to them; discernment; apprehension; cognition.

2.  The faculty of perceiving; the faculty, or peculiar part, of man's constitution by which he has knowledge through the medium or instrumentality of the bodily organs; the act of apprehending material objects or qualities through the senses; -- distinguished from conception.

3.  The quality, state, or capability, of being affected by something external; sensation; sensibility.

4.  An idea; a notion.

2012 was a long year full of fearful predictions but we have made it through the holidays, the end of the Mayan calendar and the world has not come to an end.  Most of us have started or already set some goals or intentions for 2013 but these probably all focus on external materialistic things.  Depending on our perception of this crazy world, our plans may be sourced in fear and ego.  The ego is tricky and it's easy to end up letting it be the one who creates our vision board or goals for the year ahead, setting us up for disappointments and a sense of failure.

Direct Perception Checking is a three step process (Floyd, 2009):

a.    Acknowledging the behaviour you witnessed

b.    Interpreting that behaviour

c.    Asking whether your interpretation was correct

IS THE GLASS HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY?

Depending on the source of our perception, we will interpret life in different ways.  The definition above refers to the normal five senses:  Touch, Sight, Hearing, Smell and Taste.  It also refers to bodily organs including the mind.  The mind can play tricks on us but when we start feeling from the heart, really feeling from the heart, our visions and interpretations can change for the better.  The heart is the source of love, happiness and gratitude.

Jafree Oswald of Enlightened Beings gave me some great advice when it comes to being positive:

“When you are positive about everything in your life, something magical happens. Everything good seems to effortlessly flow your way and people just love hanging around you. People in your presence smile and laugh more, which makes you feel even better inside about being alive. Being positive is more important than you think. It's the foundation of your very survival. If you could only think a stream of negative thoughts for the next few weeks, you might start believing suicide is the only viable option. Once you learn how to find the good within the bad, you'll easily manifest a continual flow of success wherever you go.

Life contains both polarities of nature, the deep and dark as well as the light bright, and everything between the two. The dark always contains the light, and the light always contains the dark. Just like the eastern Yin-Yang symbol. They co-exist as complementary energies that cannot exist separately. This melting light/dark energy is found in the fabric and matrix of every atom in our Universe. When you remember this, you'll know that somewhere inside the negative you can find a seed of something positive. You just have to get out your microscope and look more closely at the situation with a creative mind and an open heart.

The greatest advice I've ever received for being unstoppably positive about life is the thought that "anything is possible". This one little concept has allowed my mind to continuously open, even after it became momentarily closed. Believe it or not, it is possible to be positive about everything that happens to you in life. There is always something to be learned from each situation, person and circumstance no matter how challenging it may be. Being consistently positive is simply a choice that you make in each moment. It's a creative choice where you decide that you are 100% devoted to finding some possible way to enjoy this experience. Finding positivity in everything stems FROM believing in the impossible. You start realizing that you're living in an infinite Universe that has no boundary to it, thus there is no boundary to your mind or imagination. How would you view your life differently this week if you knew without a doubt that anything and everything was possible?

I'd like to give you a little exercise that will help you find the power to be positive about everything. Right now, focus your attention on your heart. What emotions and sensations do you notice are going on in there? Allow the energy around and inside your heart to soften and relax until you feel your mind follows along, and becomes more relaxed and quiet with it. Breathe slowly and deeply, focusing only on your heart relaxing. Do this for 5-10 minutes and enjoy the process of relaxing and letting go. Just explore the experience of relaxing your heart. You'll soon notice as your heart relaxes, it feels like there is more space for you to think positive thoughts about your life.

The mind is like a parachute, when it opens up it will save your life. With an open mind you don't have to try so hard to only think positive thoughts. You can allow for any life experience to show up and simply open your mind to seeing the positive come out of it. It is a constant moment to moment choice to have an open positive mind. If you can just choose to have an open mind, you'll be able to manifest anything and everything you want in life. If the mind is impatient and continues to stay closed and will not open, embrace it with curiosity. The more doubt, disbelief, and resistance you have, the greater the transformation will be! If you can maintain an open mind and a relaxed heart for the next 30 days of your life, an orgasmic experience of constant bliss will be awaiting you. That is something to look forward to!!”

I do not normally say affirmations but here is one that can truly change your perception of life:

“Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself:  I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today.  I can choose which it shall be.  Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.”

“Miracles happen every day, change your perception of what a miracle is and you'll see them all around you”

Jon Bon Jovi

Marci Shimoff on Happiness

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

Mahatma Gandhi

With book sales of more than 14 million copies worldwide in 31 languages, Marci Shimoff is one of the bestselling female nonfiction authors of all time. This is the latest breakthrough from this New York Times best-selling author, world-renowned transformational expert, author of Love for No Reason, Happy for No Reason, co-author of six Chicken Soup For The Woman’s Soul series, and featured teacher in the film The Secret.  I listened to an interview with her and would like to highlight some of her answers to questions on happiness.

Why are people interested in happiness?

Most people are unhappy and as a society in general unhappiness is an epidemic.  One out of five women in the USA is on anti-depressants.  For the first time in history, science has cracked the happiness code – we now have answers to fill that need.  The most important piece of research is we all have a set point and it means whatever happens to us, good or bad, our happiness will hover around that setting.  How do you determine your set point?  50% is genetic, in your DNA, which you are born with, 10% is from your outside circumstances which most of us focus our attention on and the other 40% is from your habits of thoughts and behaviour.   This 40% is where we can raise our happiness levels.

Why happy for no reason?

It doesn’t mean that you walk around all day with a silly grin on your face.  It is having an inner state of peace and well- being which does not depend on your external circumstances.  Bring happiness to the experiences we have in life rather than try and extract happiness from those experiences.  It is called unconditional happiness.  If we base our happiness on our circumstances than we will never be free.

Happiness habits

·         Take full responsibility of your happiness.  Firstly start looking at things that happen to us a little differently.  Even though things may not go your way all the time, we live in a friendly Universe which is on your side.  So rather than feeling like a victim of life, ask yourself the question:  If this was happening for a higher purpose, what would that be?

·         The pillar of the mind.  Don’t believe everything you think.  We tend to remember the negative far more than the positive.  Happy people have made it a habit to really register the positive.  Firstly, because it takes longer to register the positive, you have to notice it and register it for at least 20 seconds.  Keeping a gratitude journal each day helps this.  Secondly, remember the 5:1 rule – if you can have a ratio of 5 positives to 1 negative in what you say to yourself that will strengthen your neuro pathways to better happiness.  Thirdly, really savour the good.  This is not just noticing the good things happening but really allowing them to take a hold in your body.   Happiness is a neuro physiological event, not just something in the mind.

·         The pillar of the heart.  We tend to live in a brain orientated culture but the happiest of people live from their hearts – they experience love, passion, care and they let their hearts lead the way.  When you are feeling stressed out or angry for just 5 minutes, it will suppress your immune system for up to 6 hours but when you are feeling love, happiness and compassion for just 5 minutes, it will strengthen your immune system for up to 6 hours.

Marci suggests a practice that she learned from the Institute of Heartmath, a group which I happen to follow. 

The Inner Ease Technique moves you from what science calls the stress response into the love response, a place where you will be strengthening your immune system:

Close your eyes.

Place the palm of your hand over your heart starts the flow of oxytocin.

Imagine that you are breathing in and out through the centre of your heart.

On each inhale imagine that you are breathing in love, ease and compassion.

Exhale normally, repeat for 5 minutes.

Open your eyes.

Do it 2 to 3 times a day for the next two weeks – you can do it anywhere – and see how you feel.

·         Forgiveness.  We cannot really be living in happiness when we are holding onto anger, resentments and grudges.  You don’t forgive for the sake of the other person – you forgive for your own sake.

Marci shares her favourite forgiveness practice which is so simple.  The technique is called Ho'oponopono.  Say 4 phrases silently in your heart, wishing them toward the person that you have had a hard time forgiving:

I am sorry

Please forgive me

Thank you

I love you

Just feel it in your own heart and this shifts your energy.   When your energy starts to shift, miracles start to happen.

I suggest you visit Marci’s website and do the happiness quiz just out of interest.  While you are there you can have a look at all the free offers, wonderful articles and books she has to offer:

Marci Shimoff - Happy for No Reason

One question she is always asked is:  Is it selfish to want to be happy when the world is full of people suffering?  Her answer comes from an ancient Chinese saying:

"If there is light in the soul,

There will be beauty in the person.

If there is beauty in the person,

There will be harmony in the house.

If there is harmony in the house,

There will be order in the nation.

If there is order in the nation,

There will be peace in the world."