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Painting Your Picture of Reality
Perception
Painting Your Picture of Reality
    As we walk through the world, we are all inundated by a plethora of sensory information. We constantly visualize our ever-changing surroundings, hear a myriad of endless conversations, and smell the many scents floating around our environment; our surroundings relentlessly pour in like a never-ending waterfall. Unfortunately, with such overwhelming sensation, it is literally impossible to process all of this information; our minds are simply not programmed to do so. Instead, our reticular activating system (RAS) - or portion of the brain partially responsible for consciousness - filters this information and selectively focuses in on the most crucial pieces.  Then, using this relevant information, your RAS forms a perception of the world which aids in navigating your surroundings.  If you think of this sensory information as paint sold at a craft store, then your RAS is the conscious force which selects the paint of interest, purchases it, and puts it to use.  It is the creator - the artist who takes this paint and crafts a distinct picture (or perception) of reality.  Furthermore, the way in which our RAS behaves is quite unique, and its present focus is contingent upon our current influences.  In a given situation, the picture I paint of reality often substantially differs from your own.
       To explore this idea a bit further, let's first play with a very common thought experiment.  Suppose that I had just been telling you about an older lady I just met.  Almost in her late seventies, this old woman - who will now be referred to as Beth - looked quite decrepit, and most of her defining features were slowly fading away.  For example, most people would describe her as having a large, wrinkly nose, and her pointy chin greatly resembled that of a witch.  Now, after the discussion, suppose that I show you my own sketch of Beth, which can be found to the right.  Based upon the description I had given you, you would naturally expect to see a rendition of an older woman.  I had provided you the sensory information (or paint) to form a mental perception of this woman; you were essentially predisposed to see her as old and decrepit.  However, what if I told you that the woman in this sketch is actually young and attractive?  Would you be able to see what I see?  If your RAS was focused on the description I had fed you, you would most likely struggle to see this perspective; you had already painted your picture of Beth and made up your mind.  However, if I pour more sensory information into your consciousness, you may begin to accept my perception.  I could describe the woman's necklace and charming features - such as her petite nose and eyelashes.  Doing so would provide additional sensory information for crafting your reality; you would then have that extra paint for perceiving Beth as a young, attractive woman.
Sensory Information
Based on the sensory information we're fed, we all end up painting a different picture of reality.  If I initially told you that this sketch shows an old decrepit lady, would you be able to see a young, attractive woman?  How do your own sources of information and influences end up affecting your perceptions of reality; are they in-line with your governing life principles or holding you back?
Influence
Precision
As the painter of reality, you are ultimately in control of the perception process; you have the power to shape your own world as you please.  So, you might as well paint a picture that always works with you - not a hindrance that holds you back.  If you can master these skills, then your perceptions will always be of service to you, regardless of the path ahead.
    Now, as you can imagine, both your painting style and selection of paints greatly impacts how you see and react to your surroundings.  If you perceived Beth as being old and decrepit, you would be more inclined to act both kindly and respectfully in her presence.  You wouldn't be motivated to romantically pursue her - as you would if you expected to meet a young, attractive woman.  Furthermore, each comes at a different cost, greatly influencing how the events of your life pan out.  For example, suppose that Betty is currently in a bad mood and chooses to paint her reality with a negative undertone.  When confronted with challenges throughout the day, her current disposition compels her to distort reality and see everything in an unproductive, disengaged manner.  If she can not immediately find a solution to problems at work, she becomes frustrated and blames her boss - perceiving the task as impossible.  When her daughter approaches her for help and guidance, she lacks understanding and is quick to deliver harsh judgments.  Regardless of her husband's actions, she chooses to blame him for everything and shows no support or love.
     In each situation above, it is clear that Betty's painting of reality - her negative disposition - bleeds into every facet of her life.  Her RAS focuses solely on the unconstructive, disempowering aspects of her day - purchasing a dull palette of colors.  Unfortunately, painting your reality with dull colors only leads to unexciting, detrimental results, and the overall cost of doing so far outweighs the benefit. It always takes more than it gives. In the case of Betty, choosing to negatively paint her reality made her day unproductive and ended up hurting her in the long run - jeopardizing important relationships in the process.  Instead, she could have chosen to paint herself as a determined, loving, and supportive individudal - a person who accomplishes tasks and lights up rooms no matter what.  In that case, she would have been predisposed to follow a higher standard.  She would have taken responsibility and worked diligently to solve work-based problems; she would have genuinely listened to her child and helped her as much as possible; her relationship with her husband would have unconditionally grown.  In other words, she would have no tolerance for second-class behavior.  So, how does your selective focus and painting of reality end up affecting your own life?  In order to be successful, it is imperative that we all first slow down and take the time to properly analyze and adjust our perceptions / daily habits.
Choice
If you are the artist holding the paintbrush, then why would you ever choose to craft a reality you hate - one which holds you back and fails to motivate?  Doing so is unintentional suicide and will bleed into every area of your life - leading to undesired results. Instead, you must strive to cultivate an invigorating reality from which all beauty and success emanate.
Painting Style
Map
Your picture of reality also serves as a personal map for navigating the world.  So, in addition to supporting your endeavors, it should also converge upon reality as much as possible; it must aid in traversing all terrain throughout your journey.  If your picture of reality fails to accurately provide this knowledge, it becomes a useless asset and is on par with using a map of Detroit to navigate New York.
    When we paint our picture of reality, the human element exists between sensation and action.  It is that selective discernment which governs our painting style, and we are all either conscious or unconscious of the entire process.  As Betty's example above illustrates, we must learn to consciously control this process in order to cultivate inner success.  We must become the driver behind the wheel - the painter who holds the paintbrush - and shape our reality such that it always supports our endeavors.  While doing so, there are also several important factors which must be considered.  First of all, our paintings of reality also serve as our personal maps of the world.  They provide the knowledge with which we navigate and respond to our surroundings.  As such, it is essential that our paintings converge upon reality; they must provide accurate information and serve us as much as possible.  If we fail to craft a precise map, it is on par with trying to navigate New York with a map of Detroit.  The map will provide nothing but deception, leading us astray.  Conversely, an accurate map can make the difference between winning and losing.  It provides that sense of clarity and direction which guides any endeavor towards success.  If your goal is to navigate New York effectively, you better make sure that you're holding a detailed map of New York - not a useless map of Detroit.
    At the same time, you must also ensure that your painting of reality always works with you - not against you.  It should be structured in your favor and invigorate every aspect of your life.  If you are the artist holding the paintbrush, then why would you ever choose to craft a reality you hate - one which holds you back and fails to motivate?  Doing so is unintentional suicide.  Yet, most of society unconsciously engages in this behavior, and our minds can be our greatest enemies if left untamed and not fully understood.  As the creators, we must not only understand the perception process but also tame it.  We must strive to paint our world into an existence we love - a reality that inspires and always supports our endeavors.  It should always provide that focused discipline, intent, and passion in any situation - no matter what.  If you can master this skill, then your perspective will always place you on a higher level; it will provide that foundational support from which you can reach out and grab your dreams.  
If left untamed, your mind can sometimes be your greatest enemy; however, once understood and controlled, it can also serve as your greatest ally.  Thus, you should always strive to understand the perception process and build an existence that you love - one which supports all of your endeavors.  Once you learn to tame your mind and its unlimited powers, you can shape your reality as the creator with no restrictions - the artist with full access to the paintbrush. 
Artist
With a poorly-crafted picture of reality, a failure may be perceived as a devastating blow - something which halts progress.  However, if you learn to paint a picture which always supports you, failure then becomes a stepping stone towards success; it indicates what approaches don't work, providing useful insight. Such a paradigm will compel you to try again with a renewed vision, and you will inevitably be better prepared.  Remember; success is born from throwing as much paint onto the canvas as possible - through repeated iterations.  It hardly ever originates from one session with limited paint.
    For example, suppose that you had invested a significant amount of time to start a new company.  However, due to certain circumstances, it eventually ended up failing and falling into bankruptcy.  In such a situation, you essentially have one of two options.  First, you can choose to perceive the undertaking as a waste of time, and you may even label yourself as inadequate - someone who was unable to deliver.  By painting the situation in such a negative manner, do you think there would be any chance of pulling your company out of debt; would there be any hope of redemption?  Probably not.  If you believe that there's no chance of recovering losses, then you certainly won't be inspired to work through the problems.  Your painting of reality would not provide the motivation and drive to crawl out of such a mess.  Furthermore, such an insidious mentality would most likely leak into other areas of your life, failing to provide that extra push needed for success.  Alternatively, you could also take the glass half-full approach.  You could realize that, although you failed to attain your main goals, the experience also provided great insight.  It indicated what aspects didn't work, and you can integrate that knowledge into future endeavors.  In that sense, any "failure" - regardless of its context or magnitude - can be painted as a stepping stone towards success; it can be a positive event which enriches you, instead of disempowering you.
    Furthermore, such a proactive mindset would most likely provide the courage and faith to pull the company out of debt.  It would fuel that perseverance needed to make a difference and support your endeavors.  In fact, the most successful people throughout history were actually plagued by failure.  Yet, they chose to paint themselves as resilient individuals who eventually turn any situation into success; they painted a picture of reality which supports them.  Soichiro Honda's company fell into bankruptcy multiple times before growing into its current state; Henry Ford started two failing companies prior to founding Ford Motors and innovating manufacturing processes; Walt Disney was actually fired for lack of creativity (what a completely oblivious boss, huh?) before starting his own company.  In each case above, these individuals are now household names due to their character - not solely as a result of their talents and ideas.  If you fail to paint reality in a way that supports you, then the most brilliant idea can fall flat on its face.  What do you think would have happened if these individuals adopted a disempowering mindset instead - one that prevented them from taking action; would they still be the giants they are today? Probably not; there's a great chance that they would have given up after initially failing.  That's why it's absolutely imperative that you take the time to paint a proper picture of reality - one which supports your endeavors and always gives more than it takes.
Walt Disney
Without some failure, there would be no major success; the two ideas sometimes feed into one another.  However, in order for failure to breed success, sufficient resilience and perseverance are required.  We must paint our pictures of reality such that they support all of our endeavors and compel us to  push forward - no matter what. If Walt Disney failed to craft a reality that supported him, he would have given up on his dreams, and the fruits of his labors - Disneyland, Mickey Mouse, etc - would not exist today.
Do you currently paint your picture of reality in a way that fails to support you and want to learn how to improve it?  Stay tuned for part two, which will show you how to enhance your current state of affairs and expand on the second half of the video.


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