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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