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Category: Perception Is Reality

Really Notice

Published on August 20, 2023

The other night I asked my adult martial arts class, “Who feels like they’re at 100%?”

“…As in no aches, no pains, no tweaks, no bodily issues, no lagging exhaustion?”

And to my surprise, maybe 7 out of 35 raised their hand—one of whom was one of the oldest students in class.

It seems increasingly rare to me to speak with somebody who doesn’t have some type of ache, pain, tweak, bodily issue, or lagging exhaustion.

In fact, it often feels like it acts as the center of our attention and resultantly, becomes the center of our conversations, too.

Imagine, however, if we were able to notice—really notice—the miracle that is the days when we feel like we’re at 100%. It isn’t often, I’d say, but it isn’t never, either (hopefully).

Furthermore, what if we were able to notice—really notice—the miracle that is everything going right… all of the parts of ourselves that don’t ache, hurt, annoy, tire, and frustrate us.

My guess is that we often take both for granted and allow distractions to do what they do so well. But, I’m also going to guess that the more we’re able to do the really noticing, the closer to 100% we’ll get—even without any physical changes.

Language Dreams

Published on April 21, 2023

As I took my seat on a flight today, I couldn’t help but notice my neighbor using sign language over FaceTime. He was presumably speaking to a friend who was signing back over the tiny screen that was propped up in the back of his airplane seat.

I watched in wonder as the two of them fired back and forth hand manipulations and body gestures that contained the depth and precision of the entire Merriam-Webster dictionary.

A few hours later, long after the FaceTime call ended, I saw this gentlemen signing again. But, there wasn’t anyone around who had been signing with him the whole trip so I took a closer look and realized… he was dozing off. In the midst of falling asleep, he was signing… his dreams and/or thoughts.

I have no idea what they were, but boy did this light me up.

It reminded me of a time when I studied extra hard for an oral Spanish final and dreamed in Spanish the night it was over. It didn’t last very long, but it blew my mind the morning after.

We dream in the language we know. And not just that—we dream within the confines of the words (gestures) we know inside the language. If you want to dream more deeply, more vividly, more precisely—not just while you sleep, but while you’re awake—explore the depths of your language.

A Lotta Perspective

Published on April 7, 2023

Today, while driving down a narrow, backcountry road, I pulled over as an ambulance (lights flashing) came driving towards me.

To my surprise, this was met with a long BEEEEEEEEP from a driver behind me.

The driver was inaudibly yelling and waving his hands around in a dramatic, flamboyant manner that was obviously trying to communicate a level of upset that simply baffled me.

Like, I literally pulled over for approximately 5 seconds, to let an emergency vehicle more easily pass…?

None-the-less, I continued driving casually only to arrive at the scene of a pretty intense accident not long thereafter—complete with ambulances, police cars, and tow trucks.

The scene took up the entire space of the road that my GPS had me routed to drive through and so what did I do? Signaled, pulled over to the side of the road, and contemplated the scene until I knew what I could safely do.

Not even 1 minute later, what does the guy behind me do? Slam on the gas, screech his bald tires around me, and drift his way into a right turn ahead, while again… inaudibly trying to communicate some infuriated message to me.

Today’s message is a simple one and it comes from what my mom said in response to this driver… what could be so important that you don’t have time (seconds) to pull over for an emergency vehicle or need to floor it around our pulled over car when evidently… somebody right in front of us (or passing us) was quite possibly having the worst day of their life?

Life is hard—I get it. But, sometimes a little compassion can give a lotta perspective.

The Opportunity In Loss

Published on January 7, 2023

Everything we lose in life leaves with it a space.

  • Lost love
  • Lost work
  • Lost friends

…For a while, it’ll probably be an uncomfortable space.

But slowly… eventually… you’ll start to see that space as something of a blank slate.

And slowly… eventually… you’ll realize what you have inside is everything you need to paint a new (even better) masterpiece.

The Key To A New Reality

Published on October 17, 2022

The key that unlocks a more beautiful outer reality is cut within… Never without.

You can keep trying to jab the current key (that is your perception) into reality and try to force it to turn—but, I’m afraid it’ll be about as useful as shoving your car key into your house’s front door lock.

The only key that’ll open the front door to your house is the key that was specifically cut to open it.

And until you get a new key cut, one that can open a different door to a different house (reality), it’s the only reality you can count on seeing.

How do you cut a new key, you ask?

Well, by doing inner work, of course.

The kind of work that cuts through the noise, distractions, and busywork—and with a fine blade of attention, challenges the rigidity of our current conditioning, beliefs, and thought patterns against those of others (found in books/ podcasts/ videos)… until a new edge on the key is created.

…And a new key is formed.

P.s. In case you missed it, you can read the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week, here.

Interesting

Published on October 3, 2022

You thinking that somewhere else in the world is more interesting than where you are right now is precisely what’s making here… uninteresting.

  • There’s an unfathomable depth to every person you cross paths with—start getting curious about it.
  • There’s a mountain of insight collecting dust on bookshelves near you—crack open some covers and let it free.
  • There are canvases that are just begging to be turned into art literally everywhere—pick a medium and start sharing your creations.

When everybody becomes uninterested in everything else—of course everything becomes uninteresting.

All it takes is one person’s spark—one person’s interest—to change the way all of us see something we thought we’ve already seen a hundred times before.

P.s. In case you missed it, you can read the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week, here.

Correctly Deploying Optimism

Published on July 21, 2022

Being optimistic doesn’t mean you have to be happy all of the time.

In fact, trying to be “happy all of the time” and denying or suppressing all other emotions is a great way to not be happy all of the time.

The real power of optimism comes to light when it’s strategically used to confront the heavier/ tougher emotions that undoubtedly will arise.

Because what optimism gives us is the assurance that things can be improved—that there’s hope for a better tomorrow. And it’s precisely what makes the confronting tolerable.

Much more tolerable than looking at the heavy/tough/hard emotions from a lens of pessimism and telling yourself that it’ll never get better… that it’s hopeless… that there’s no point.

Suffering is a reality. Trying to live as if it’s not is emotional avoidance. Calling emotional avoidance “positive thinking” is toxic for your mental wellbeing.

Deploying an optimistic perspective upon emotionally tough situations is the first, most-important step to solving/ improving upon any undesirable situation. Because it’s precisely what gives you the belief that the problem can actually be solved/ improved upon.

Pessimism won’t do that. Hopelessness won’t do that. Avoidance won’t do that.

And from that solid foundation of a hopeful future, you’ll be able to finally take the deliberate, patient action that’s required for any kind of change to take grip on reality.

Not so that you can be “happy all of the time,” but so that you can contribute all of the time to a better and more enjoyable future: for you, for me, for us.