Reality -- It's a Matter of Perspective
People and circumstances in our lives seem pretty clear at times. But contrary to the old saying, what we see isn't always what we get. We may not see the whole picture. This article explores how to expand our perspective and see more of the Reality available to us.

May 10th 2006 - Well, here we are again - another magnificent moment in Infinity. Now we have a wonderful opportunity to review where we’ve come from and to choose where we’re going. It is a time to explore new possibilities, to consider new options, to really get honest about ourselves and what we perceive as our lives, our truth, and our path.

Through various circumstances in my life, I’ve pondered the significance of a statement often repeated by Chokai, one of the Do’Hai Masters I channel. “Life is a game of perspectives.” If that’s true, then the life we experience is based upon our perspectives. Thus, we change our lives when we change our perspectives.

Perhaps you’ve heard the story of the several blind people examining an elephant. One thought it was a tree, another a hose, another a rope, and so forth. This story is a tremendous lesson in perspective. Each experienced the elephant from their own unique reference point. Each concluded that their perception was true based on that limited experience and argued accordingly. However, none of them had the whole picture. Being blind, they didn’t realize there was more to be seen.

Isn’t that what often happens in our lives? Misunderstandings and conflicts occur (inwardly and outwardly) because we assume that we have the whole picture when we’ve only seen the part apparent to us. When we encounter a new idea, we compare it to ideas we’ve previously encountered. Then we define what we’ve encountered based on conclusions from those previous experiences (beliefs). Rarely do we question that the conclusions we use for comparison are themselves based upon limited and possibly inaccurate perceptions.

Would you like a real-life example that you can use to demonstrate firsthand what I mean? Remember, this exercise is only a demonstration. I aim to prove conclusively that what you know may not be as true as you think it is because it is based upon a limited perception. Before we proceed, promise me and yourself that you’ll see this exercise through. It’s only a few paragraphs. Okay? Here goes.

Are you nice? Do you think of yourself as a nice person? Do others think of you as a nice person? My guess is that while you may be aware of certain shortcomings, you think of yourself as basically a nice person. You may even pride yourself on being the Original Mr. or Ms. Nice. Though we may have never met, I genuinely and sincerely hope you are NOT nice. May whatever God you believe in help you if you are nice! But you can recover. I’m sure of it.

Now pay close attention to how you are reacting to these statements. Chances are, you’re experiencing some level of conflict. It’s probably not what you expected. It doesn’t confirm your conditioning. You may already be arguing for your “niceness.” You may think it wasn’t very nice for me to say that. I absolutely agree.

Before you conclude that I’m totally nuts, remember your promise. Take a deep breath. Relax. Now, here’s why I feel as I do. Please look up the definition of “nice.” You’ll need a dictionary that shows word origins. I’m using a Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate, Tenth Edition. I’ll wait right here. Yes, I’m going to tell you what my dictionary says. But since you may feel distressed by my earlier comments, I’d rather you confirm it for yourself before I proceed. Go ahead. It’ll only take a minute.

Surprised? The first time I discovered this, I was dumbfounded. It contradicted what I “knew” to be true. According to my dictionary, the word “nice” is derived from words that mean “foolish, wanton, ignorant.” I certainly hope you are none of these. So much for the Original Mr. or Ms. Nice, huh? Now you can see why I said what I did. I know. It also means “pleasing” and “agreeable” among others. These definitions may be the part of the elephant you’re familiar with. I’m simply pointing out another part that I’ve seen. It may be lesser known, but no less part of the same word. I have to wonder, though. Is acting pleasing and agreeable a result of foolishness and ignorance? Or is foolishness and ignorance the result of acting pleasing and agreeable? Worth pondering, I think. But that’s another subject.

You see, if we don’t consider other possibilities as we did in the previous exercise, then we can’t see the whole picture. We may create or perpetuate conflict with others who experience a different part of the whole. We may all become rope or hose “experts,” never considering that there is another end and that end may connect to something far greater. Seeing that “something” would allow us to reconsider our entire position. Changing our perspective of Reality would then be much easier. Such a realization could help us to relinquish our attachments to life as we think it is or has to be. This is particularly advantageous if life is less fulfilling than we want it to be. We may lose our identity as “hose experts.” We also gain access to our True Identity, something far grander than we could have imagined.

Of course, we have numerous opportunities to shift perspectives. These opportunities include anything we see as obstacles, inconveniences, or problems and anything that triggers a negative emotional reaction. And by shifting perspectives, I don’t mean rationalizing or merely “reframing” as I’ve heard many endorse. I mean actually standing in a different place in consciousness. I mean, deep in the Heart and clearly in the mind, seeing circumstances or various aspects thereof in a different way.

As an example: To reframe the perspective of the hose expert who has discovered that he is not truly an expert on the hose after all might be to say, “I specialize in organic hoses.” Sounds impressive to the uninitiated but he is still talking about an elephant’s trunk and he knows it. To see this and express it from a truly different perspective, one might conclude, “Okay. What I thought was a hose is actually an elephant’s trunk. Accepting this awareness has led me to discover a number of uses for elephant trunks and the elephants attached to them. Such purposes could never have applied to hoses, like lifting and stacking logs. Though not a hose, I now know much more about this apparatus as it actually is. As a result, I can benefit myself and others far more as a result.”

So, what might have at first been seen as a limitation, a failure, and a source of fear is now truly advantageous. But it does require us to first admit the misconception openly and honestly, without judgment, to ourselves and perhaps to others as well. That honest admission allows for a whole new world of expression to be revealed. Otherwise, we remain in an empty, limited, and false world that serves and fulfills no one, least of all ourselves.

Are you clinging to your identity as a “hose” expert? Are you willing to expand your awareness, encompass a larger perspective, and/or step into an entirely new identity? It’s your world. Explore it. Expand it. Determine the truth for yourself. What do you see in yourself, your life, your world that may not be the whole picture? Need a hint? Anything you notice. Be willing to look at what you see from a truly different perspective. And get ready to be amazed by the wonders you discover on the other end of that “hose” and beyond.

©2005 Jaraan Onai

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