I was sitting in the waiting room at the doctor’s office just about this time last summer. Beth had fallen and bumped her head. In an abundance of Mama Bear caution, I whisked her off to the after-hours clinic.
Anyone with young kids knows that the time spent in a doctors waiting area feels twice as long with a toddler in tow. Beth, not quiet two at the time, had a vocabulary that was limited to one or two-word sentences.
Anyone with young kids knows that the time spent in a doctors waiting area feels twice as long with a toddler in tow. Beth, not quiet two at the time, had a vocabulary that was limited to one or two-word sentences.
About fifteen minutes into our waiting vigil, Beth bounced over to me with a copy of Women’s Day Magazine that she had plucked from a chair.
“Read book, Mama.” Beth commanded.
After Beth settled on my lap, I started to thumb through the magazine and point out pictures of things she might recognize.
“Look, Beth. A car.” I said. Beth touched the picture with her finger and said “Car.”
Beth and I played this game for a few more minutes when I turned to an advert containing a photo of a very handsome man, obviously a male model, standing in front of a red sports car. He looked to be about thirty and had short dark hair, a chiseled chin and sparkling blue eyes. He was wearing close fitting denims, tennis shoes and a navy blue t-shirt. And he was smiling.
For the life of me, I couldn’t tell you what Mr. Handsome was advertising. Jeans? Tennis Shoes? Cars? Teeth Whitener? Did it even matter?
Before I could find anything interesting in the photo to show Beth, she reached her finger forward, touched the photo of the model and said “Daddy.” I laughed so hard I nearly fell off my chair.
As time passed, the image of my little girl gazing at a handsome model and saying “Daddy” has stuck with me. And the more I think about it, the more I realize why.
Perception is reality. In Beth’s tiny little mind, her Daddy is young, handsome, and strong. That is her perception. That is her reality….To be honest, it’s mine as well. :-)
I guess I've come to realize that understanding the connection between perception and reality is important to finding happiness. If your perception is gloomy and dark, your reality is gloomy and dark. If you believe you are happy and hopeful, they you are happy and hopeful. If you think you are successful, you are successful. If you see yourself as a failure, then you are right.
A few years back I went through a time when I had more sad days than glad. I moped about lamenting all the things that were wrong with my life. I wasn’t thin enough. I wasn’t pretty enough. I couldn’t do everything I had ever wanted to do. My perception was dismal. So was my reality.
I waited, hoping my reality would change. I tried to map out plans to make it change. I tried to control it and make it bend to my will. But my reality was like a bar of steel and it did not budge…until I changed my perception.
I admit it didn’t happen all at once. But over time, I came to realize that my biggest problem wasn’t the world around me. My biggest problem was my own attitude.
So I set about working on my perception. I tried to appreciate more the good things around me and to focus less on the bad. I spent more time thinking of all that is right with my world. And less time pondering all that is wrong. And as I did, the steel bar started to melt.
As the days ticked by, and as I slowly changed my point of view, I noticed something. I noticed that my reality had changed.
Yet nothing had changed.
I still lived in the same house. I still had the same car. The same job. The same kids. The same husband. I hadn’t changed the way I looked. I hadn’t changed the things I did.
But even though nothing had changed, everything had changed. Because I had changed my perception.
So what’s my reality? It’s a place where I am happy, thankful, safe and loved. It’s a wonderful home. It’s beautiful children. It’s a loving husband. That’s my perception. That’s my reality.
Perception is reality. To change your reality you first need to change your perception.
So, now that I’ve changed my perception, the only thing left is convince Beth to point to the supermodel on the cover of Sports Illustrated and say “Mommy.”
“Read book, Mama.” Beth commanded.
After Beth settled on my lap, I started to thumb through the magazine and point out pictures of things she might recognize.
“Look, Beth. A car.” I said. Beth touched the picture with her finger and said “Car.”
Beth and I played this game for a few more minutes when I turned to an advert containing a photo of a very handsome man, obviously a male model, standing in front of a red sports car. He looked to be about thirty and had short dark hair, a chiseled chin and sparkling blue eyes. He was wearing close fitting denims, tennis shoes and a navy blue t-shirt. And he was smiling.
For the life of me, I couldn’t tell you what Mr. Handsome was advertising. Jeans? Tennis Shoes? Cars? Teeth Whitener? Did it even matter?
Before I could find anything interesting in the photo to show Beth, she reached her finger forward, touched the photo of the model and said “Daddy.” I laughed so hard I nearly fell off my chair.
As time passed, the image of my little girl gazing at a handsome model and saying “Daddy” has stuck with me. And the more I think about it, the more I realize why.
Perception is reality. In Beth’s tiny little mind, her Daddy is young, handsome, and strong. That is her perception. That is her reality….To be honest, it’s mine as well. :-)
I guess I've come to realize that understanding the connection between perception and reality is important to finding happiness. If your perception is gloomy and dark, your reality is gloomy and dark. If you believe you are happy and hopeful, they you are happy and hopeful. If you think you are successful, you are successful. If you see yourself as a failure, then you are right.
A few years back I went through a time when I had more sad days than glad. I moped about lamenting all the things that were wrong with my life. I wasn’t thin enough. I wasn’t pretty enough. I couldn’t do everything I had ever wanted to do. My perception was dismal. So was my reality.
I waited, hoping my reality would change. I tried to map out plans to make it change. I tried to control it and make it bend to my will. But my reality was like a bar of steel and it did not budge…until I changed my perception.
I admit it didn’t happen all at once. But over time, I came to realize that my biggest problem wasn’t the world around me. My biggest problem was my own attitude.
So I set about working on my perception. I tried to appreciate more the good things around me and to focus less on the bad. I spent more time thinking of all that is right with my world. And less time pondering all that is wrong. And as I did, the steel bar started to melt.
As the days ticked by, and as I slowly changed my point of view, I noticed something. I noticed that my reality had changed.
Yet nothing had changed.
I still lived in the same house. I still had the same car. The same job. The same kids. The same husband. I hadn’t changed the way I looked. I hadn’t changed the things I did.
But even though nothing had changed, everything had changed. Because I had changed my perception.
So what’s my reality? It’s a place where I am happy, thankful, safe and loved. It’s a wonderful home. It’s beautiful children. It’s a loving husband. That’s my perception. That’s my reality.
Perception is reality. To change your reality you first need to change your perception.
So, now that I’ve changed my perception, the only thing left is convince Beth to point to the supermodel on the cover of Sports Illustrated and say “Mommy.”
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