There’s something really important that you need to know.

Reality is not fact but simply a matter of perspective

Have I lost you? How can REALity not be REAL?

The thing is, it all depends on where you stand, as to what you see.

Lets use an example to demonstrate what I mean.

There is a tree which stands on a shared piece grass between our house and our neighbour’s. The tree is centred on this bit of grass and therefore we both own the tree. I happen to love trees and enjoy watching the seasonal changes which occur as the year goes by. When I am sitting in my living room, this particular tree is in my direct line of sight.

My neighbour also loves trees and believes in letting nature take its course. Needless to say the tree is getting bigger by the year.

Right, so this is where I get to the point I want to make.

My partner adores nature but he hates this tree. He feels it is too big and when the spring comes and the sap is running, this tree drips a lot of sap onto his car which is of course parked on our driveway.

His reality is that the tree is a menace and should be kept small or preferably removed altogether. He truly believes that its wrong to have such a big tree where it is and that the neighbour should let him cut it down. He complains constantly and wishes the tree would die.

My neighbours have a completely different reality.

They planted the tree when they first moved to their house many years ago (long before we moved in). They have tended this tree and it has ‘grown up’ alongside their son. To them, the tree is special and they are very upset by the idea that it needs to be trimmed or pruned.

The fact is, there is a tree in the garden.

But the ‘reality’ of how each of us sees the tree is completely a matter of perspective

Is the tree a liability or an asset? Does it make life better or worse?

It completely depends on who you are. It depends on which side of the grass you are standing on.

There are two sides to every story and the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle. – Paul J Alessi

Whilst your brain has a need to categorise people and events based on what it already knows in order to make sense of the world, you do not need to let your brain rule you.

Just because your mind tells you something is real, doesn’t make it so.

And just because you believe something doesn’t make it true.

Your reality is simply a reflection of how you see the world.

Things are not as they seem – Irish Proverb

When we go through the world and interact with others, we define things and people by what we consider to be ‘normal’. Your upbringing, your culture, your gender and your generation create differences between you and others.

One of the best examples of this is maturity.

Every single generation throughout our known history has been heard to make similar comments as they mature.

“In my day, I would never have dared to speak to my parents like that.”

“The world has gone mad and is on the brink of destruction.”

“Young people today …”

Are the young people ‘worse’ than we were when we were their age? Is the world truly mad and set on a course of destruction?

Or is it just that we were raised in a world that looked different from the one we find ourselves in today. Is it that our shade of ‘normal’ is simply different from our children’s understanding of ‘normal’.

The way you see the world is unique to you. Nobody else in the whole world sees things exactly the way you do.

Truth.

Your perspective is shaped by so many variables that it is impossible for two people to agree on absolutely everything. No two people ever experience the same reality no matter how close their shared experiences.

The wonderful thing about reality is that it can shift from moment to moment

And even better is that you don’t have to wait for something around you to shift.

You have the power to choose your own reality

Take a deep breath. Step back from your emotions and look again.

In the blink of an eye things can change and what you thought was reality becomes a mirage.

When you shift your perspective, everything you see shifts with you.

You will always see what you expect to see.

Change your expectations. Ask more questions.

Use your power to choose your reality and discover a new world …