A Shift in Perception

Yesterday's blog post was about recognizing your ability to choose what kind of day you're going to have and that you can make this choice independently of how your day starts out. I've been thinking a lot lately about our freedom to choose our thoughts and how powerful that is. Choosing your thoughts is far more important than any other choice you make, if you think about it. And the reason is, regardless of what your life circumstance are, you can choose to think whatever you want to about your life. The thoughts you choose could either elicit feelings of happiness or depression, hope or doubt, gratitude or lack, love or fear, forgiveness or resentment, etc.... It's all about your perception.

Perception is an interesting phenomenon. How we perceive the world is probably the most unique quality that makes us different from one another. (I avoided saying it is what separates us from one another because we are by no means separate.) Everyone has their own unique lens through which they view the world and themselves and therefore everyone's experiencing of the world is highly individual. If this is the case, how could you ever argue that someone else's viewpoint is wrong?  By the same token, how could you ever invalidate your own feelings--your own perception--your own thoughts?
I want to make it clear that I'm not suggesting you examine your thought process and judge the "ugly" thoughts. But rather honor what your feeling and if you are having thoughts that do not serve you...then the next step is to shift them.

A Course in Miracles says that nothing is real but only our thoughts are real.  The very first lesson, in fact, teaches that nothing around us means anything--material things and even our physical bodies don't mean anything...but rather it's only our consciousness that matters.  Our bodies are a simply a vehicle for our spirit consciousness.  Our consciousness--our thoughts--are really the only thing we can control.  We can't control what happens to us, but we can control how we respond to what happens to us--in other words, we have ultimate control over our perceptions.

I remember learning through my Buddhist studies that a shift in perception is like removing a film from the lens of your eyeball--it is just that subtle and that simple of a positive change.  Buddhists even describe reaching Nirvana, or enlightenment as being that simple!  Once I've shaken off the heebie jeebies that image stirs up in me, I really like that idea!

I know what you're thinking--easier said than done right?  Well, today just start by developing an awareness of your thoughts--without judgment.  This will be a continuous mindfulness practice and the most important part of it is that non-judgment piece.  If you spend the whole day criticizing yourself for your thoughts, you are going to feel like crap at the end of the day and that's not the point.  If you find yourself judging your thoughts...well, that's just another thought be aware of.  Maybe even go as far to jot down these thoughts briefly in a journal.  Once you've developed an awareness of your thought patterns, then we can get onto talking about how to make those tiny little adjustments in perception throughout the day that I promise will be positively life-altering.

Change your thoughts...change your life!
Giddy-up!
Brooke