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Health & Fitness

Be Your Own Life Coach Series: Your Lens: What do you see?

When you go to a 3-D movie, the patrons are encouraged to wear those bright, neon-green glasses. Everything appears as it is coming at you. The experience changes if you happen to take off the glasses. Similarly, in life the lens by which you see the world determines your experiences. The problem with this analogy is that our life lens is often more difficult to notice than an over-sized pair of glasses that we discard after an afternoon show at a cinema. This perspective is often formed unconsciously between the ages of 0 to seven. Furthermore, most of those closest to us have groomed us to accept this as our truth or reality. Consequently, we may be 30 years old with a four year old negative story. Here is an example. Let’s say you were poor as a kid. The way your parents did or did not speak about your current situation may influence your own feelings as well. If they were aware as people, they may have spoken about their current situation as a temporary situation instead of a permanent reality. This belief system recognizes that things could be radically different with some planning and education. However, if your parents were plagued with lack as children themselves, it may be a possibility that they have a distorted perspective of prosperity. Their comments might include things as: we’ll never have, our situation is hopeless, or prosperity is only for those people, but not us. Often, these individuals view themselves as victims that are powerless to change any situation. The problem with the latter example is that regardless of the opportunities available, these individuals tend to selectively see what they don’t have in the present moment; thereby, not being able to access the resources around them. 

So, what is your lens, and how does it serve or hinder your life? These are good questions to ask, so start by becoming aware of how you speak to yourself. Notice what your inner voice has the tendency to say. Is it positive or negative? Begin to measure your thoughts and attitudes by writing them down for about a week. What comes up? If there are any reoccurring themes, this may indicate a lens, which needs to be addressed. When you are making plans or beginning to do something new, what are the initial ideas that dominate your thinking? How do they add or subtract to your energy level? If you feel energized and positive, you are on the right course. On the other hand if your thoughts exhaust you most of the time, then it might indicate you have a negative, debilitating lens that is unknowingly undermining your progress in life.

 

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