Is What You Perceive What You Believe?

Don’t believe everything you think.

Did you pause after reading that to consider what you’d just read? No, you didn’t, you naughty little reader. Be honest… come on… you just continued on reading, didn’t you? It’s ok. Stacie’s here.

Now I’m going to give you a chance to think about that for a second: What does it mean to not believe everything you think? And why?

I read that little nugget of wisdom – a “wisdom nugget” if you will – on a bumper sticker not long ago. So what does it mean? Well, for you it may have a specific meaning entirely distinct from what it means to me. However, in general, it is a reminder to accept that we have misconceptions about ourselves – that we are wrong, dead wrong, sometimes about who we are, what we’re worth, and what we’re capable of. I, for one, sometimes think things about myself that are not true – that I am not valuable or valued, that I am undeserving of love, that I’m too fat, or too this, or not enough that; but the more life goes on, the more I realize that I am not the only one. It is very likely that you also think untrue things. For some people, it’s a negative thought that has rooted itself somewhere along the way, totally blocking out the view of reality. For others, it might be an overly positive self-image, which doesn’t allow them to recognize their own flaws. Still others might have a distorted worldview or perception of others due to past experiences.

Whatever the case may be, it’s all just a problem of perception. Reality being what it is (real), there is a distinction here to be made between perception (what the mind sees) and what truly is. For example, someone who is anorexic looks in the mirror and perceives something that is not there – an overweight, disproportionate body – while the rest of the world looks on and wonders, “What on earth can this person possibly be seeing?” But the mind has a funny way of sometimes bending reality for many, many reasons, and what goes into the eyes of the person struggling with that eating disorder is different from what finally is accepted by the brain as reality.

Your mind can play tricks on you. That’s a fact. Scary, isn’t it?

So for those of us who have a problem with thinking less of ourselves than what we are due, what is the solution? Someone told me that happiness is a choice, and I believe that to be true. Contentment and happiness are choices, but to go a bit further, they are daily choices. If we know that what we think is not always to be believed, if what is real is sometimes at odds with what we perceive to be true, then we are in a perfect position to choose happiness daily and to be content in our knowledge of who we are, who we are becoming, and the true value of our worth. Listen to those around you. If you say, “I’m not enough,” and they reply with, “What on earth are you talking about? Of course you are!” do not disregard that. You might not believe it at that moment, but we’ve already established that what you’ve believed may be wrong. Don’t put all that trust in your own thoughts – there are times when you have to make a conscious effort toward appreciating YOU.

The bottom line is that if you have negative thoughts toward yourself, you have to challenge them. If it turns out it’s something true, deal with that, get better because of it. Make the decision to change.

If, however, it’s a perception not based in reality, then change your mind. It’s that simple. The hard part is making that decision to change your mind daily, to not believe your own thoughts and accept that what you had previous believed to be true is nothing but a lie.

Don’t believe everything you think. Sometimes you’re dead wrong. Think about it. ;)