Power of Perception

This is an article about PERCEPTION and its role in our Life and our Success. So, let’s start with the first question - Why our Perceptions matter?

Let me answer that with a story from a nice book titled “The Answer”, written by Allan and Barbara Pease. The story is about a farmer and his donkey. The donkey fell into a dry well one day and starts making a lot of noise crying for help. The farmer comes out to see what’s the matter and finds the donkey in the well. He thinks for a while and tries to find out how he could get the donkey out but couldn’t find a way. So, he thinks that anyway the well needed to be filled up and the donkey had become old and was not being much helpful.

So, he called a few neighbors and they all took a shovel each and started putting dirt inside the well , the donkey understood what’s happening and started to make more noise. 

At this point I would like you to ponder, “if you were at the place of the donkey, what would you have done? Would you accept your fate and die inside there or still do something to pull yourself out of it”? Taking this back to our lives, introspect for a second, the way you behave when you are stuck, when you feel the whole world is against you?

Back to the story. After sometime of wailing and crying, the donkey fell silent and there was no sound from the well. The farmer stopped and he went to peep in the well to see what happened.

He was amazed to see what he saw! With each pile of dirt and sand thrown into the well, the donkey was shaking it off and was taking a step up. Everyone was surprised and they kept putting more dirt and sand into the well. Finally, the donkey reached the upper edge of the well and ran off safe.

What’s the moral of the story and how is it relevant to your success. As per the authors of the book, the moral is, “life is going to shovel dirt on us and the way to deal with that is to shake it off and take a step up.Each of our troubles is a stepping stone to get out. We can get out of the deepest shot holes of our lives by just not giving up. Shake it off and take the next step, a step up.”

In my view here is what you should take away from this story:

Lesson 1 - Perception is both Power & Peril

Our perception is the lens through which we see and interpret the world around us. So, if we can handle our perceptions, we can see opportunities hidden inside obstacles. While others are wondering what is wrong and are looking for help, we can leverage the situation for our growth & advantage and move ahead. So, it’s time for me and you to reflect on,  

• How constructive and positive and empowering our perceptions are? 
• How skilled are we in identifying opportunity inside obstacles?
• How do we behave when life throws an opportunity or obstacle at us? 
• How our perceptions are made? 
• Is there a way we can reconstruct and reshape our perceptions?

 Lesson 2 - Perceptions are built on Experiences & Exposures

Experience comes from the actions we take and the results produced by those actions. Exposure means the human dimension we expose ourselves to. For example ,when you are reading a book or an article, you are exposing yourselves to the thoughts, opinions, insights and suggestions of the author. We also expose ourselves to the gossip, compliant and the excuses of the people around us. Our exposures represent the human dimensions of our lives and our experiences represent the action dimensions of our lives.

Lesson 3 - You can change your Perceptions by changing your Experiences & your Exposures

And the lesson number three is that we are in control of both these aspects, so if we choose we can change our experience and our exposure and by that we can change our perceptions. So in order to change your perception you have to start gaining different experiences, you have to do things you have never done before, you have to push yourselves out of your comfort zone,you have to do things you are afraid of. You have to explore the world of the unknown. You have to take risks you have not taken before in order to get the rewards you have not received before.

You can change your perceptions by changing your exposure - the videos you watch, the podcasts you listen to, the books and articles you read and the people you spend your time with. Change this and you have a chance of building more empowering, more positive and more constructive perceptions and you will experience your life change.

Our ability to create and contribute is a function of our perceptions and our perceptions are a function of our experiences and our exposures. So change your experience & exposure and you will be able to change your perceptions. Once your perceptions are changed, you will create and contribute much differently. That’s the lesson I wanted to share with you.

Here is another story that will explain the power of perception and its role in our lives. This story comes to you from my standard V literature book (not all the details but the context that is relevant for us here).

Long time ago there lived a village tribal head in the western districts of Odisha. He was worried because there has been no harvest from their lands in the last couple of years. One afternoon while he was sitting by the road next to his house and was thinking about it, a jeep comes and stops in front of him. From it comes out the Inspector of schools.

They knew each other. After exchanging greetings the inspector asked, "how is the harvest this year". To this the village head replied, "how could the harvest be when Mother Earth is so angry at us". The inspector is taken aback to know that the village head thinks Mother Earth is angry at them and queries further. He was told that mother earth is angry because they have not given any blood or animal sacrifice from last two years.

The school inspector thinks for a moment and then asks the man to come with him to the nearby school and that he would drop him back home the next day morning. The old man agrees and goes with him.

Now I want you to think how would you convince this old man on the way to the school who thinks that Mother Earth is angry to believe that it was not true.

Back to the story. Both men reach the school after an hour long journey. After having a look at the school yard, the village head starts running around in joy, seeing so many flowers and fruits and vegetables around,which he had not seen in his lands for years now.

After touching each flower, each fruit and each vegetable when he was exhausted, the village head looked at the school inspector and said, "this is where they have given a lot of blood to Mother Earth". The inspector smiled and said, "we will see that tomorrow morning".

The next day morning, a lot of men and women came and started working in the yard. The inspector asked the old man if he saw anyone giving blood. The old man was puzzled and said no, he didn't see anyone giving blood and if so whose blood are they sacrificing.

The inspector pointed at the workers who were drenched with sweat and drops of sweat dripping on to the ground and told the old man, "that’s the blood they are giving to Mother Earth here and that’s what Mother Earth wants.

After a thoughtful moment, the village head smiled back and said, yes, "I now understand what you mean". That was a quick change in perception.

So as it should be evident from both the stories, if you are able to change your perception, you can experience a different and improved life. 

Now I wish, your understanding about our perceptions and its importance in our lives has improved. I also believe that you will take full advantage of this process of Perception Building and build for yourself a few positive, empowering and constructive perceptions that will make your life much more meaningful, joyful and fulfilling.