Perception Is A Mirror
You respond to what you perceive, and as you perceive so shall you behave.
Every response you make
to everything you perceive
is up to you,
because your mind determines
your perception of it.
You cannot be aware without interpretation,
for what you perceive is your interpretation.
Understand that you do not respond
to anything directly,
but to your interpretation of it.
Your interpretation thus becomes
the justification for the response.
Perception selects, and makes the world you see.
It literally picks it out as the mind directs.
The laws of size and shape and brightness
would hold, perhaps,
if other things were equal.
They are not equal.
For what you look for
you are far more likely to discover
than what you would prefer to overlook.
The world can teach no images of you
unless you want to learn them.
Reality needs no cooperation from you to be itself.
But your awareness of it needs your help.
Perception is a choice
of what you want yourself to be;
the world you want to live in,
and the state in which you think your mind
will be content and satisfied.
It chooses where you think your safety lies, at your decision.
It reveals yourself to you as you would have you be.
And always is it faithful to your purpose.
Let us be glad that you will see what you believe,
and that it has been given you to change
what you believe.
If you perceive truly
you are canceling out misperceptions
in yourself and in others simultaneously.
Because you see them as they are,
you offer them your acceptance of their truth
so they can accept it for themselves.
Let us not rest content
until the world has joined our changed perception.
Let us not be satisfied until forgiveness has been made complete.
As I share the peace of the world with my brothers,
I begin to understand
that this peace comes from deep within myself.
Excerpted from "Gifts from a Course in Miracles". Edited by Frances Vaughan and Roger Walsh.
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How do you relate to the notion that we have the freedom to change what we believe, and our beliefs shape what we will see? Can you share a personal experience of a time you were aware of your perception and willfully changed your belief to change your perception? What helps you be aware of the beliefs that are shaping your present perception?
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7 Past Reflections
On Jul 11, 2018 Aruna Jethwani wrote :
Whenever i look at a tree, i feel that it responds to my love and concern for it. I like bare trees. I find them lyrical, beautiful, naked creating a silence which is musical and healing. The bare tree represents many things to me which are different from how we normally perceive.
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On Jul 10, 2018 Carmela wrote :
I see my perceptions tied closely to my past experiences. So I try to stay curious. I constantly find myself asking what assumptions I carry with me and if they serve me well or hold me back. In doing so, I have found myself choosing to discard many old assumptions and taking only those with me that move me positively forward.
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On Jul 9, 2018 deepti mirani wrote :
Our perception has a deep impact.. it guides ur actions, behaviours, feelings, thoughts, our vibes and gives us ample reasons to justify it.
we have the choice to be in deep despair or to change the perception and change the attitute, i.e. from despair to happiness.
Only an individual has the power to change and see the percept in different light and to be at a pwerful stance.
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On Jul 6, 2018 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
1 reply: Monica | Post Your Reply
On Jul 6, 2018 david doane wrote :
I don't believe whatever I want -- I believe what I believe. I don't directly or willfully change what I believe. I can have new experiences and learn, and my beliefs change with new experiences and learning. My beliefs definitely shape what I see, and what I see shapes my beliefs. As my beliefs have changed over time, my perceptions of myself, of others, of the world, of life have changed. What helps me be aware of the beliefs that are shaping my perception is taking my beliefs seriously, paying attention to my beliefs and to changes in my beliefs, thinking about what my beliefs are, questioning and examining my beliefs, and being open.