DIRECTING DESTINY | SELF IMAGE | SUCCESS SECRETS | INSPIRATION

Seven Secrets To Direct Your Destiny ~ Part One ~ Chapter 6

The secrets behind perception and how personal beliefs shape reality.

A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to the old dimensions.~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

What if you woke up one morning and realized that every decision you made in your entire life was based on secrets and lies? It would change everything!”

At twenty-three, I was presented with that reality. My frame of reference held little significance when I discovered the truth about my mysterious past, and the revelation thrust my life into free fall. My perception lost all credibility. Interestingly, that concept presented profound insights into my perspective of perception.

Consider how your life would change if someone erased your memories. With no frame of reference, your slate would be clean. By starting over without fear or apprehension created thru past failures, you could generate inconceivable changes to your future.

On the downside, you’d need a whole new set of dos and don’ts, which would require time to build... and you’d also lose the knowledge and inspiration gained from past successes. But oh, the possibilities.

So, what if you could avoid the downside? Imagine a life free of negative experiences where you still could embrace the positive aspects — like your hopes, dreams and passion.

What we perceive or believe to be true shapes our decisions...and ultimately our future. So, it stands to reason if my perception about something changes, then so does my frame of reference.

Let’s take that a step further. Chances are you won’t discover a major discrepancy in your past, but the concept still holds true. If your perspective changes, then the reality you perceive as true would also shift…which might alter your decisions. Hmm. The plot thickens.

Case in point––several years ago my sister, Brie, gave me a strange gift — an unusual white needlepoint design on a black background. Brie obviously knew the intricate image baffled me. She giggled then said, “It’s to remind you you’re never alone.” I assumed she meant the sisterly gift would make me feel loved. I hugged her and thanked her for her thoughtfulness.

I displayed the needlepoint on a sidetable, where I glanced at it now and then. A few days later as I reached for a glass of lemonade, I saw something completely different in Brie’s tatting and immediately understood what my sister meant by her curious comment. Can you see why? If you can’t, try looking at the dark space instead of the white.

Like my sister’s gift, life is all about perception. When I see alternate viewpoints, my experience changes.

The more difficult concept to grasp was the impact my perception had on my attitude. Like a mirror reflection, attitude played a key role in my perception. My computer-like brain continually relied upon my past experiences for strategic decisions, and my attitude fueled the positive––or negative energy.

My frame of reference began to develop the day I was born. Through the eyes of an infant…a child…and ultimatly a young adult. The lessons learned built upon a foundation. And negative events reinforced my poor self-image which, over time, became impervious to positive influences.

I literally became what I believed I was, and I made up excuses to support my theory that held me in a self-created emotional prison.

The impact perception holds over reality is undeniable…and it can dramatically change lives. An individual’s inner spirit, which includes both intellect and emotion, is at the core of our being — our heart. What I didn’t realize growing up was my thoughts could work for me––or against me.

You become what you believe you are.

Countless great minds have discovered this incredibly simple secret. Could they all be wrong?

Bible — Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of our tongue.
Proverbs 23:7––As a person thinks in his heart, so is he.
Proverbs 4:23––Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.
Norman Vincent Peale — Change your thoughts and you change your world.
Earl Nightingale — We become what we think about.
Buddha — All we are is what we thought about.
Marcus Aurelius — A man’s life is what his thoughts make of it.
Ralph Waldo Emerson — A man is what he thinks about all day long.
Lance Armstrong — Anything is possible, but you have to believe.
William James — Human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.
Henry Ford — Whether you believe you can or believe you can’t, you are absolutely right.
Rhonda Byrne — The law of attraction — we attract what we think about.
George Bernard Shaw — People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in their world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want and if they can’t find them, make them.

The theory, rooted as far back as Plato, presents an interesting and widespread philosophy supported by a lengthy and extraordinary list of great minds. And the evidence crosses multiple scientific boundaries as well.

I don’t presume to be a philosopher, quantum physicist, or expert on the law of attraction. I never really believed in the premise before it slapped me in the face. And yet, my own life experience profoundly validates the concept.

I realize people hunger for validation…searching for like-minded friends with similar values, opinions or interests. But the law of attraction delves deeper than mere supposition. Unlike magnetic attraction, the metaphysical belief concludes that positive energy attracts positive energy and negative attracts negative — basically it’s the notion that you attract what you emanate.

Ask any ten eyewitnesses to give a detailed account of a shared event and you’ll likely hear ten different descriptions. Our personal understanding is skewed by past experiences that influence our point of view.

Perception is the ultimate tool I needed to move forward and heal life’s wounds. I may not be able to control the actions of others, but I can control my thoughts, and how I react to unexpected events.

One of the most important revelations I discovered is people generally do things for themselves as opposed to against others. That by no means excused selfish behavior or damaging actions, but the epiphany helped me put things in––yes, you guessed it…perspective.

Perspective was the key to unlocking the door to my future. I now take responsibility for my decisions and I strive to view situations through the eyes of others. We all do what we can to survive in our own world.

William Ward once said, “Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the handcuffs of hate.” But I think compassion and understanding loosen the lock.

In today’s society, the repercussions of greed, anger, betrayal, and hatred erupts and streams eternal throughout the world. But what most people don’t realize is that negative energy has existed since the begining of time, generation after generation. So, don’t give it oxygen to thrive.

Media and Internet thrive on negative headlines and blockbuster news, but few even take the time to verify their stories. The destructive impact hatred, greed, and division has on humanity devastates civilizations.

But compassion, understanding, and forgiveness have esoteric powers that not only defuse hatred, but also empower positive energy to flow freely and fuel society with happiness.

The secret to happiness lies in your perspective of perception. ~Casi McLean

When I take the time and effort to discover the why behind other people’s behavior — to see an alternate point of view—the visual often deflates the impact of their actions.

Think about it. You could be right all the way to the grave, but at what cost? What good would come from being right if you alienate someone in the process…especially someone you love? Making a difference in someone’s life is worth so much more than making a point.

Simple, daily choices matter so much more than we realize, because each choice can lead to a habit…and habits generate patterns.

Perception truly is reality. When I looked at other people’s viewpoints, my perspective broadened and my reality shifted. Changing my patterns was key. By insisting mine was the only righteous belief, I locked myself in a self-made prison, repeating the same mistakes…and rewriting the same story over and over, merely changing the dates and characters.

Patterns––like a poor attitude, playing a victim, shirking responsibility, laying blame on others, or just accepting situations as my plight in life––all held me captive in my own negative energy.

Choice created habits, and habits created patterns that directionally pointed me down a life path I chose—yes, the life I chose…though in no way was the trajectory the life I desired.

Are you beginning to see a pattern here? Every choice really matters, because they create habits…which creates patterns that direct your path in life.

If you enjoyed this article, watch for my next chapter and find out how a simple pattern can direct your destiny.

*Side Note: Be sure to check out Seven Secrets To Direct Your Destiny ~ the introduction to this series.
And don’t forget to take a look at my other articles on Medium — like this one: The Thing About Dreams

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*Side Note: take a look at my other articles on Medium — like this one: The Thing About Dreams

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I love Illumination. What a fabulous publication! Please take a moment to click on these links for more stories you might enjoy: Tim Maudlin JeffHerring.com Brenda Christopher MaryJo Wagner, PhD Dr Mehmet Yildiz Vickie Trancho Jesse-Melva Johnson Sunita Pandit Peg Duchesne Benecia L. Ponder John Kremer Jacquelyn Lynn Kelda Ytterdal Phil Nomanono Isaacs Rick Hoefer Ellen Mogensen Dave Kwiecinski Joan Kent, PhD Roger Himes Esq. Terri Ward Nicki Walsh Susan Joy Schleef Nancy H. Vest Dr Jeanne King PhD Nile Nickel Cynthia Charleen Alexander Linda Miles Murray Thomas Anderson Andrew Poletto Dr. Sue Massimo Breakfield and Burkey Tom Antion Linda Halladay