Thursday, February 21, 2013

Perception Versus Reality

Sometimes I complain because my life seems too busy. I know many people, especially younger people who are still raising their children or trying to go to school, or both, would probably laugh at me for feeling this way. Is my life really too busy? I doubt it. What might seem like a busy life is probably just a full life. My wife and I work full time, we are involved in the lives of our children even though they are adults, and weekends with my granddaughter seem to roll around quickly. Admittedly, my wife is frantic at the moment trying to prepare for my youngest son’s ordination. It’s a little bit like having a daughter and putting on a wedding. Although we’re both excited, we will also be breathing a sigh of relief when it is over. The point I want to make, however, is that the way our life feels is not always the way it is. Most people’s reality is based on perception and perception is not always reality. My personal perception is that my life is too busy. The reality is that my life is actually very simple. I wake up and come to work five days a week. Most work nights I go home, have a simple dinner, change into my evening attire, and I sit in my chair undisturbed. I read the daily newspaper, check my personal emails or maybe Facebook, listen to my favorite music, and often take a nap. At some point I watch a little television or maybe a movie, and then I go to bed. If this is “busy” many people would love to be so busy. Weekends with my granddaughter can seem full but weekends without her are usually wide open with nothing that demands my attention. Mindfulness helps me see reality. When I take the time and make the effort to really be present to the moment I can see life as it really is and not as I perceive it.








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