Change Your Perceptions, Change Your Life

One thing I am beginning to realise is that perception drives everything in life. I am beginning to realise that all my negative states are the results of perception, or judgement of what is taking place in my life. Essentially it is all according to story, or the ego. Most of the perceptions we make are based on ego, our stories of what has happened in the past.

This realisation has come due to an effort on my part to be more aware and conscious of what is taking place in my life. It is apparent that life is just perception; it is the observer perceiving the observed. We as human beings are both the observer and the observed of what we experience. Accordingly all of life is feedback of us, allowing us to see where we are at, ultimately giving us never ending opportunities to change, grow and essentially progress. In reality the universe and life is organised to cater to our progress, it is designed to lead us upward and forward towards realising our full potential.

I have had opportunities this week to descend into old, repetitive negative states but I have chosen not too. And how did I get to that point of choice? First I was aware and secondly I changed my perception. If I was not aware, fully conscious, I would not have been able to change my perception. Why? Because I would have been consumed in the perception, the perception and I would have been one, not separate. Only by being conscious can you separate yourself from the perception you are making. This is why agency or the ability to choose is essential in the grand scheme of things. Everything in our lives is designed to move us closer to choice, whether we see it that way or not.

How many people can actually say they are conscious in their lives? How many people are actually aware of the perceptions they are making when they make them? How many people can separate their perception from themselves? The truth is most people run on auto pilot for the majority of their lives, totally unaware of the perceptions they are making on a moment by moment basis. Generally the ones that say they are the most conscious are the ones who are the most unconscious. People that are truly conscious do not need to make such assertions as they operate from a state of awareness, fully aware of their inner and outer conditions.

In my own life, most of my negative states in the past are the results of self-judgement, the perception of some action I have or haven’t performed according to some expectation. Normally the expectation is according to our story, what has happened in the past or what we have seen others do in the past. Because we have seen a certain action performed in such a way we expect ourselves to do it the same way or even better. We pick up these expectations throughout our lives, and then compare ourselves to them as we go about day to day lives. Then when we don’t live up to these expectations, we get upset to the point of beating ourselves up both within and without. Do you see the futility in this?

First of all, the expectation has been formed from a perception, a perception based on our story at that point in time. Essentially it is now a perception of a perception. With each layer of perception we get further and further from reality, how things really are. You see there are two sides to every experience, what really happens and our perception of what happens. In NLP this is described by the phrase, “the map is not the territory”, meaning that we do not experience the actual territory, we experience the territory only according to the map we are using. Our map is our perceptions, these perceptions work according to our filters. The filters are beliefs, values, memory, language etc. based mainly off the past.

If left on auto pilot then this becomes a vicious cycle of perception creating perception creating perception. A person then becomes at effect of their reality, as from their unconscious perspective everything in life outside of them is just “happening” to them. Being unconscious, on autopilot, is the basis of the victim mentality. The victim mentality is manifested by those who believe life isn’t fair and that life just happens to them being outside of their control. This again is all according to perception. The map has become the territory to these people, they believe what they experience is what is actually happening. In reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

The reality is we experience life as we are, not as it really is. We experience the territory, what really is, only according to our maps, which are our filters and the ego. The ego and the filters work hand in hand feeding off each other in a repetitive cycle. This is what is referred to as the story. Our story is what has happened to us in the past. It is the “I’m not good at dancing because when I was 10 I tripped up during dance practice at school”. It is the “No one likes me because I am fat and people tease me”. It is the “The world is an evil place because of all the wars, rapes and murders that I see on the news.” It is the “I don’t believe in marriage because all my friends are divorced and are bitter as a result.”

This is all “story” and is based on perception. Every single person is influenced by their own “story”; this is why we don’t see life as it really is; we only see things according to our “story”, our perceptions based off the past. Most people do not live in the moment, they live unconsciously in the past; letting the past dictate what they experience. This is why people repeat the same experiences over and over again. This is the meaning of the map is not the territory, but unfortunately most people live their lives believing the map is the territory. They don’t realise their entire life is created by and based on perception. It is all perception; it is all the way we experience the territory via our individual map.

It is only possible to see the map for what it is when you are aware, when you are operating outside of your “story”. When you are aware and in the moment, you are not operating according to your filters and ego. Being aware allows you to see the perceptions you are making, and gives you the ‘choice’ to change that perception if you so choose. By changing your perception you change the territory as you are using a different map. Change the map and you change the territory. The truth is you are the map and the territory; you use your own map to create your own territory. If people really understood this then most of the so called problems on the planet would disappear almost instantly.

So the question is when will you choose to be aware? When will you choose to be conscious of your perceptions? When will you choose to use a different map to see the territory for what it really is? The choice really is yours, no one else can make it for you, no one else can perceive for you. You make your own perceptions, and your life is a result of those perceptions. Change your perceptions and you change your life. In order to change your perceptions you need to be conscious, be aware of your thoughts and emotions and what is going on inside of you. To remain on autopilot is to remain trapped in the perception. Only by being conscious can you separate yourself from your perception. You are in control of your life; you are your map. Change the map, change the territory; change your perception, change your life.