Category Archives: Perception

The Excitement of Change

So there I was, standing just off stage.  I had done this exact same thing a year ago, but I didn’t remember it being so incredibly pulse quickening. Boom. Boom. Boom. Why was my heart beating so fast? I was so calm just a minute ago, when I was safely behind the curtain, watching all the people scurrying around like caffeine infused mice readying for the performance. But now, just off stage left, waiting for my cue, I peak out into the hall. Lower level. Full. Upper level Ful. Boom. Boom. Boom. What is happening? Why is something I didn’t think was a big deal a minute ago now giving me palpatations? There is my cue, as I step out…

Kind of like I step out for my walk every morning. I usually walk a kind of a loop that looks like a figure eight. On the top part of the figure eight I stop at a convenience store and buy a a small shot of yogurt drink. Good for the digestion, you see. The digestive track is something that you don’t really pay attention to until there is something wrong.  Like a couple time’s I’ve had the unfortunate (and uncomfortable) experience of having to pay attention to my digestive track, if you can see what I’m saying. So I make it a point every morning before I actually step out, to grab enough change from my change bowl, next to my front door, so I’ll be able to have the money to pay the girl at the convenience store for my yogurt drink.

Funny thing is that when I was a kid, I hated yogurt. And when I think back to why I did, I conclude that it was only because adults told me it was good for me, and therefore I should drink it. Becuase of course I’m sure you’ve realized many times before that it is good to do what is good for you, right? Of course I later discovered that sometimes it’s not always a good strategy to reject ideas simply because they don’t belong to you. Naturally the opposite is true. I don’t think you should accept new ideas automatically. You probably already know that it’s good idea is to check them to make sure that they are good for you, first. Good for you like yogurt. And delicious too. Which is why I make it a habit to remember to grab my change before I leave, so I can pay for the yogurt when I get to the convenience store. Because no money, no yogurt. (Or honey, if you’re into that as a morning drink).

Which is why, in retrospect, I guess it was good that my heart started pounding before I walked on stage. Because as soon as I walked out there, and realized why I was there, the nervousness was somehow able to magically change into excitement.  Obviously I enjoyed my small part (the introduction), the kids enjoyed their singing (It was for a kindergarden performance) and everbody was able to relax and be happy. And thankfully my body was smart enough to automatically grab the resources  it needed before I stepped out.

It’s amazing what happens when you trust yourself enough to come up with whatever you need whenever you need to perform well, isn’t it?

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Magic in a Bag

So there I was, sitting there in the coffee shop, in a nice corner spot. The kind where you can periodically stop what you are doing so you can look up and really pay attention, watch all the people walking around, shopping, eating, enjoying their Sunday off.  I noticed something out of the corner of my eye, and for reasons I’m probably not aware of, that particular movement seemed to stand out of all the flurry of movements, so I naturally turned my head so I could take notice. There was a young female employee of the shop standing facing a middle aged guy that was sitting down.  She seemed to have a look of professionalism on her face, and he a look of boredom. Perhaps his wife had dragged him shopping with her, perhaps he was a little light on sleep. We’ll never know. But as she leaned over to get closer to him, as there were plenty of people around chattering about, I saw an interesting phenomenon take place.  I noticed her eyes, and as she was talking to him in what appeared to be a polite professional tone (judging only by her facial expressions and her body langauge), they shifted back and forth between his face, and the bag that she was holding out for him to take. And as she did so, his face turned from passive disinterest, to mild curiosity, to a look of honest appreciation.  Now I’m not sure what was in the bag, perhaps some exotic coffee beans, or maybe a personalized mug, who knows.

Kind of like the shops around my town, they organize some special new years specials, where all the shops that participate put together bags of secret goodies for ten or twenty dollars. The fun part is that you don’t know what’s going to be in the bag. Of course it will be related to the kind of store of course, but you never know what will be in the bag until you open it up. And they all look the same, so you really can’t tell from the outside.

Like when I was a kid, we used to have lots of presents under the tree at christmas time, but you never know if you were going to get something cool  until you decided to choose a gift  to open.  And of course, most of the time we could expect to be really happy  with the present we got.

Which was what was wierd at the coffee shop, because the guy didn’t really know what was in the bag, only that the girl had decided for him that it was something of value.  Now I don’t if you are able to understand this, but this guy, who could be a doctor or a lawyer for all I know,  was able to transform his own emotions from boredom to appreciation over a mysterious brown bag, simply by choosing to pay attention to the words of a most likely minimum wage earning young lady.

Can you see the magic in this? Simply by assuming that there was value in the bag, she was able to, using only her words and expressions, move the middle aged man from boredom to curiosity to appreciation.

How soon will you be able to find something of value , and with only words, move somebody else to appreciation?

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Mind Benders for Fun

An interesting thing happens when you start to become aware of your natural ability to unpack reality.  When a person first begins to notice that reality is more of an internal game than anything else, a common tendency is to become a bit frightened. After all, most people like things just the way they are. Take a look around you, have a look at the items to the left and right of your computer screen. Feel the material on the chair you are sitting in, hear the sounds around your head. As you notice those things, you might be able to sense a feeling of familiarity.  And as you might be wondering exactly where I’m going with this, you might be able to open your mind to the interesting concept that people see only what is familiar to them, only what they think is safe. 

It’s like when I was sitting a coffee shop earlier today, and I was reading a fascinating book about how different people interpret various events. How you interpret different things like conversations, other people’s ideas and behaviors.  And this person was saying that when people communicate,  they are really communicating more of what they think is going on around them than what might be really happening. And I certainly didn’t want to get something fearful to happen like a brain spasm or something, so I tried not to let my thoughts be swirled into that particular reality too much.  And as I was reading, I noticed a girl studying next to me, so I asked what she was studying.  And she said it was history of some sort.  I think I remember it was someting about the construction of the Great Wall of China.

Which is kind of interesting, because I know that it is a common myth that the Great Wall of China is the only man made thing that can be seen from space, but I’ve read several places that that just isn’t true.  I even got into an argument about it with somebody back when I used to believe the myth. It’s wierd how that happens, you would swear you believe this thing, even argue about it, but something simple like a well written report can allow you to convince yourself  that you were wrong all along.  Like Santa Clause.

So anyways, I was talking to this girl, and after we finished talking about old Chinese Military Projects she started  telling me about her sister, who is a real supporter of President Elect Barack Obama, but this girl wasn’t (I never did get her name). And she even said that they sometimes fought over politics (I didn’t ask her who she supported, it was too interesting listening to her tell me about her sister). It’s funny how two people who grew up in the same house with the same parents could believe two totally different things. I think one of their main sticking points was the issue of his birth certificate. Personally I really don’t care where Barack Obama was born, I am just concerned that he’ll do a good job. Birth certificate or no birth certificate. I know I’d be hard pressed to find mine. 

I guess the two sisters held on to their beliefs so much because they are so familiar to them.  And one thing that few people have been able to realize is how you can easily change the reality around you simply when you question your beliefs. And the fantastic thing about changing beliefs is that it gives you a whole new perspective on things, and familiarity starts to look completely different.  One key ingredient among people who have really been able to achieve success is the ability to look at what they represent as true, and then ask themselves “Just in how many ways can you improve this?”

It’s amazing what you can find when you send your mind in new and wonderful directions.

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