Alas, To Muse And Ponder

By Denise

Life is just a perception

Life is all in the mind. We do live our lives in the first person perspective, not the second, third, or the omnipresent. What your perception of it is, is your reality. It's all in your perspective, and every once in a while we should stop and think about it. Do a reality check, so to speak. Can change your world -- and only you have the ability to do that.

There are many ways to look at things. You can take a bad situation and look at it as an ending; or you can turn it around, and look at it as a new beginning. Your life and your spirit are all tied in with how you perceive the circumstances and situations around you. Let me give this a try without using any cliché's. Which there are many to use on this topic, but let's try to get some new perceptions on the theme.

I could have taken my divorce as an ending, and sat and cried, and made it a bad thing. Instead I have turned it around and made it a totally new start on life. Actually feel like I am a teenager again. In some ways, that is. I know the body doesn't hold out like it used to. But, mentally, it is totally invigorating. There are so many possibilities. I actually have a new life plan. It is good to know where I am physically going to end up, and am moving in that direction.

When bad things happen to people, they can dwell on them and become victims. You have to allow yourself to be a victim -- or you can turn it around, and let it make you stronger. Learn from the lessons of life, and try your best not to repeat them. Keep them in your peripheral vision at all times as to not make the same mistakes. Goodness, I feel the clichés coming on. They just want to flow out but I am still resisting.

One good thing that has come with age is the fact that I don't care what other people think about, or say about, me. Age has given me that freedom. I say what I mean, now. If people have a problem with me, it is their problem, and not mine. I will not take possession of someone else's problems with me. That is my perception on my life. It is mine to do with as I will. I am the only one that will have to answer for it. I hold myself responsible for what happens to me.

Being the Gemini that I am, I do look at all situations from every possible perspective I can derive. I try to see how other people would perceive the same equation; trying to think of every possible hypothesis. I, then find the course of action that feels right to me, considering how it is going to impact the universe around me, and then act accordingly.

Okay, here is a twist. Take this scenario. Man goes to a gas station and doesn't have the money for the gas he has put in his vehicle. He takes off without paying for the gas, and the clerk grabs a gun and shoots and kills him. Most people would say, 'okay, he was asking for it because he stole the gas.' My perception would be that is one of the stupidest things that I have ever heard. It was just GAS! And because of that a man is dead? Might have had a family that will be without him because the family car needed gas. Did he really deserve to die over a tank of gas? Not in my perception. I know we have laws that need to be upheld, but let's put it into perspective. Was he endangering someone else's life? No. Did he physically hurt anyone? No. Wasn't the clerk putting innocent bystanders in mortal danger? Yes! Look at the bigger picture, folks. Believe me, there is a bigger picture.

Can your heart be told whom to love? Not in my experience. It doesn't want to be told anything -- having a mind of its own, and its own perceptions, because they come from a different place than the brain. Love comes from your inner being and your spirit. But you can also put this in perspective. You can realize that you have no control over your heart, and just accept it. Realize that it is all just a part of life, and if the love is returned, it was meant to be. If not, just hold onto it and do your best not to turn it bitter, because someone will come along that will willingly accept it. Bitterness is not the way to turn a situation around. Neither is jealousy or anger. They are all wasted emotions that just eat up all of your energy and spirit. And those emotions will just leave you bitter and alone.

Okay, let's say you are like me. No car, no money to pay all of the bills. Constant worry about money issues. You can let that consume you easily. Easy pit to fall into. Or you can look around and see that there are people in much worse shape than you are. Remember things can always be worse. You can always find someone that has it much worse than yourself. If you can dig deep enough to perceive it that way.

People do have tunnel vision, and it usually stops at the end of their nose. You think that you are the only person on the planet that has the problems that you do. But by talking to people, and looking at the world around, you see that we all basically have the same problems. Money issues, health problems, relationship problems, and your family problems, just with different levels of severity. We all just have different ways of perceiving them. Try to look beyond the tip of your nose, and see what else is going on around you. You can become a hermit and lock yourself away so you don't have to see the other troubles in the world, but in my book, that makes you a very selfish, self-centered person. We all are here on this planet together. Easing another's troubles is easier most of the time than easing your own, and in that process, you become less centered on yourself, and forget your troubles -- even if only for a short while.

Start trying on some different perceptions of life. It is very enlightening. We all don't think the same. What makes sense to one person is going to make no sense at all to another. But it is good to try on other shoes and see how they fit. Might actually be a more comfortable fit for you than your old shoes! As we all know the wrong shoes can make you a hard person to live with or even be around. Makes life a chore instead of a joy. Life is too short to only see it at one angle. Enjoy it from every possible angle you can find. Try to turn situations around. If you look hard enough, you can find a comfortable answer to any dilemma, and make it a positive thing.

My perception of life is not to take things too seriously. I don't want to be a serious, pensive person. You know the Anal Retentive type. My ideal life is very light and with lots of laughs. Laughing is one of the best things that you can do for yourself to keep you in a healthy perspective.

Well, just some ponderings. Something to think about. Until next time.

The Mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.
John Milton 1608-1674 "Paradise Lost"

Denise