I value my freedom. When you hear that some people march to a different drummer, it references people who act independently and behave outside of the norms. I value adventure, people, new places, and knowledge acquisition. If my life were a coloring book, all the colors would be outside of the lines.
This life makes me feel that I have something to blog about; first, I am older and have had many unique experiences. Secondly, I have lived with a chronic illness since the age of 10, and my life has had many obstacles that able-bodied people do not encounter. I have not only survived but thrived a vital conquest. Conquering pain, short-term disabilities, and the opinions of others.
Life is filled with wonderful opportunities if you have the right eyes to see the possibilities. If your vision is of dark days, sadness, with no wins, you will not see the opportunities. Some type of personal or professional growth is available to everyone.
PERCEPTION IS ALL
I worked with an old professor years ago; he walked around and continuously repeated, “perception is all.” At that time, I did not fully understand what he meant. As I moved through life, the statement becomes more profound. I conducted a lot of research on the topics of worldview and mindset. Your worldview is basically your philosophy of life. It is impacted by environmental and cultural factors, but it is what you end up believing. Your perception of the world is seen through your worldview lens. Mindset is a set of attitudes held by a person, impacting the lens by which you see the world. Organizational culture is a shared perception in a business setting. However, we see a shared perception in the political atmosphere in the United States today.
So, I start my blog with
Perception is your reality. Meaning what you perceive to be your reality is your reality.
The important point:
Perception is not reality – only what people perceive to be their reality.
My focus here is that we are all living through a vastly different time, due to the pandemic. I think it will become a time of significant change, and I also feel that it is a time for people to really examine who they are and what they believe and what type of people they want to be. What I see is that our country is dividing by ideologies and perceptions of reality. This phenomenon is not just groups it is infiltrating our homes and families. In the process, people are becoming ugly to each other. Social media makes the process so much easier because it is impersonal. My husband’s reality and my reality are on opposite ends of the world. We live under the same roof, but I swear, he lives in a different world than I do. Yet, we have been married for 28 years. If I preach, it will be for us all to come together.
We need to dig deeper and decide who we want to be – or our country, our families, will not be what we want in the end. I do not want to get political in my blogs but will have to touch on the edges once in a while because it defines the individual so much at this time.
How can we come together?
By getting in touch with our center, by looking inside instead of looking to others, if we seek opportunities, quality of life, purpose, peace, contentment, or happiness, we cannot find it in others. Socrates said that “The unexamined life is not worth living.” It is too easy to become pulled into the political and ideological conversations, which in 2020, pit Republicans against Democrats, and maskers against anti-maskers. To preserve yourself and not be consumed by the raging discussions, take this time to improve yourself; to grow as a person.
I invite you on a metaphorical journey, a pilgrimage to your inner essence. To seek a place where you are an individual, where you find quality and purpose. A place where you can take full responsibility for who you are both in your home, online, and in public. I invite you to reach for your highest human potential to be a productive member of your family and community.
It is time to step back and destress. It is time to stop being a part of the mob. It is time to think about your future and your family’s future. We can explore human potential together. After years of chronic illness, I value quality of life and purpose. There have been too many times that I was sure I was going to die, a few other times, the doctors were convinced, and I did not know it was so bad. I have been given a golden opportunity to become the best person I can possibly dream of becoming.
Wouldn’t you also like to reach your highest human potential, be the best you can be, and seek your hopes, plans, and dreams? I invite you on a pilgrimage.
Linda L. Pilcher 