We See What We Want To See

Years ago I read about an experiment in a science magazine with instructions to stand at the edge of a robust meadow and looked at the flowers. Sounded fun, so I did. First, I told myself to see the yellow blooms, and I marveled at how many were scattered throughout the green grasses. Then I suggested to myself to view the blue ones. My eyesight shifted and mostly blue blossoms emerged before me. I did that with the color purple then pink, red then white. Each time I suggested a color to myself, that's what I saw. It was difficult to encompass them all. Scanning as an overview did not give me the opportunity to see the details, but I did comprehend clusters here and there as well as the magnitude of the meadow.

I really can't remember the point of the article any more, but the experiment showed me something that has come in handy in my 'Choosing to Change' Seminar, as well as in my private practice as a Personal Growth Facilitator. Human beings have the tendency to focus attention on one thing at a time. This is not only true with flowers but with perceptions and attitudes. If I want to view a situation as fearful, I can. Everything about the people, the environment, even the weather, the color of the sky, the sounds around me, will be scary.

Movie directors do this on purpose to make us get the adrenaline rush they want us to have.

We also choose to do it to ourselves. We look for the elements in our lives that will keep us fearful or hesitant or angry. Pollyanas look on the bright side of life because they choose to. Pessimists look for the negatives.
Someone said, “The only thing in life one can change is one's attitude.” It goes farther than that. Once I get an idea about my life or someone else or something I want, I can feed that perception or decision, because I will only see what I want to see, what I program myself to see. Stepping out of any 'way' of thinking takes courage to want to change the vision, the attitude.

Just like standing at the edge of the flowered meadow, I can stand at the edge of my life and decide to see rosy opportunities rather than weedy walls or rutty sameness. It's up to each of us to decide what we want to see.