Isn’t it crazy how we swore by so many things as kids? I remember saying I would never do this, I would never say that. It’s funny how we see life through such a narrowed lens during our childhood. So much so, that at age 7 we can guarantee you that we don’t eat onions today and never will. Little do we know that our experiences and the perception of them will later expand that lens and turn our world upside down. Those experiences expose us to things which allows us to create ideas and mental pictures to get a better understanding. That exposure leads to learning new things and revealing the different layers of ourselves.
Perception is pretty important also, in fact it is all about perception, your perception. We perceive through our senses which each play a vital role in how we experience the world around us. The way you visualize the experience and the way you compare it to your past experiences. How it makes you feel; good, bad, happy, or sad. Whatever emotion you feel, its compared to your past experiences and has the potential to influence you. Influence is powerful. Why? Because it has the power to affect you in a way that will make you change your life. Like a gentle force, and in some cases not so gentle, influence is almost like a persistent nudge with intent to cause an internal reaction. Our experiences, our perception and the influence it has over our lives is very important in how we view the world and ourselves.
I remember in junior high school, I really wanted to be artistic. I would spend hours sketching and doodling all over my school notebooks, whether it was bubble letters or drawing people with big heads and lashes. Then in high school I chose art as an elective to try to learn how to paint. In my eyes I just couldn’t do it right. It never looked like I wanted it to, like everyone else’s. It was like I had created a mental block as a result of telling myself I couldn’t do this art thing for so long. I wasn’t good enough. Finally, I let go and moved on. I told myself I just wasn’t the artsy type. This went on for years. Then one day I about 4 years ago I saw a simple hand-painted canvas.
Something in me said that looks fun and easy. If they (meaning whoever painted the canvas) could do it, then so can I. That was it, all it took for me to realize that all this time I had been telling myself I couldn’t do it. That weekend I went to the craft store purchased some paint, brushes, and a canvas. I already had an idea of what I wanted to paint and that was all she wrote. Now days I paint frequently and it is one of my go to hobbies for relaxation; as it is very calming for me. In fact, today I have several of my paintings hanging on the walls in my home. After all that time, and now knowing I had this amazing talent inside me it feels good to see my very own paintings suspended in the air for all of my visitors to see. My life experiences allowed me to grow and change my perception of myself in a way that influenced me to defeat my challenges. Like onions, we too have layers that need to be peeled back even when it makes our eyes burn.
How have you peeled back the layers in your life to expose what was hidden within you?
Check out a few of my creations. http://magis.to/OSMnTQBcE1wrdjEPYnZLB3E?l=vsm&o=i&c=e
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