EXPANDING PERCEPTION
How we see things usually determines how we react. For example, you might feel and react differently if you thought the boss was taking you out to lunch to fire you than if you thought he was doing it to give you a surprise promotion. Reactions greatly depend on what we think is happening or going to happen. Therefore, it’s crucial to make sure that we’re perceiving reality correctly before taking action.
This is not always easy to do. When under the influence of a strong bias, fear or expectation, one may tend to see things incorrectly, react improperly, and get bad results. So it’s important to expand one’s perception of reality.
Here are some suggestions:
1. Consider that your thoughts may not be necessarily what’s true, but only what you're imagining, expecting or calculating.
2. Ferret out the facts; consider what you actually know for sure.
3. Try to get new information that might help you clarify things.
4. Remind yourself of how often and easy it is to jump to wrong conclusions.
5. Examine yourself for any hidden fears, desires or agendas that may be causing you to shape your current view.
6. Recognize and accept that you can’t always anticipate everything correctly.
7. Be willing to trust your ability to know what’s best to do as you explore the situation and learn more.
With these approaches we eliminate being automatically influenced by limited or false perceptions; we expand our perception of reality and increase our ability to act more successfully. Keep this check list handy and refer to it whenever you’re worrying about something. It may help steer you right.
Goodness and joy to all, Joseph.
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