Categories
Happiness Tips

Do we see what we see or think we think what we see?

eyeI am often reading about and teaching that we ‘become what we think’. That the external world is often a reflection of what is happening in the internal world. Do you know how our eyes actually work? I am going to be super simplistic here.

A light source shines on an object. The light bounces off that object and since your eyes are facing that direction the eye (a collection of cornea’s, lenses, irus’s and pupils) lets in the light. The signal is then taken to the mind via an optic nerve, where it is ‘interpreted’. And here is the funky bit. The ‘interpretation’ is based on our core beliefs, what we have experienced and what we believe we ‘should’ be seeing. It is not based on everything that is in front of your gaze.

That is why different people see different things. Like three witnesses to an accident can give three very different descriptions of what happened.

It is also why hypnotists and some illicit drugs (that I have obviously not had personal experience with) are able to create incredible external pictures or images for the individual. The visions start in the mind, and then the ‘eyes’ see what the mind tells them to see.

So what does this mean to us? It means, by reverse engineering, that if we change our beliefs and expectations within our mind, we can actually change the external picture. Sort of like going from a horror movie like ‘The Exorcist(I still remember it scaring me sh_tless, when I was 16) to a feel good movie like ‘Good Will Hunting’ or the ‘The Blind Side‘ or ‘Little Miss Sunshine(and yes, I am encouraging you to watch more feel-good stuff)

Here is classic example:

If I ‘believe’ the world is a beautiful place, I am about 47.3 times more likely to notice all the beauty around me. Alternatively, if I ‘believe’ the world is full of despair, I am about 47.3 times more likely to notice all the despair around me.

 

So action steps for today:

  1. Get to know your beliefs
  2. Challenge your beliefs
  3. Fill your mind with possibility by reading about it and focusing on it
  4. Know that the quickest way to change your external world is to change your internal world. Say this mantra about 936 times: “I am already successful. I am loved. I am safe.”

Have an awesome day!!

Cheers,

Carl

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *