Our Map of Reality

Imagine having a filter in your brain--a filter from which you look out and see the world and people in a certain way. Now, imagine that everyone else has a filter of their own. And it may be the exact opposite of the one you have inside of you.

Is it any wonder, then, why there are so many conflicts among people, in the world?

Everyone believes that what they see is true; the real deal. Of course, they would.

Here's an example ... suppose you grew up in a household that believed that walls in homes had to be white, and that anyone who lived in a house that sported different colors was Bohemian, eccentric, out there ... What happens when you're an adult and pay a visit to your friend Stacy, whose walls scream out, "RAINBOW." Might that change your mind about who Stacy is? Perhaps. You are now seeing Stacy through a fogged up filter.

This is what happens to us all. We have beliefs and we see life through those beliefs. We respond to our map of reality, not reality itself.

All meaning is subjective. Just because you feel a certain way about something, doesn't make it true.

But here's the good news ... if you don't like how you feel about something, you can change it. You can use your emotional intelligence and critical thinking to assess whether or not your filter needs a little cleaning up.

So many of the problems that exist are due to beliefs and how we each see the world. Everyone thinks their way is the only and right way. What if I told you that that's not necessarily the case?

What if you're wrong?

Just something to consider ...