Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one. (Albert Einstein)
When I was 5, the monster that lived under my bed laid waiting to grab me should I dare to dangle my feet within its reach. Then I grew up, sort of.
Maybe your monster lived under your bed or in your closet or lurked in the shadows. Then you grew up too. Now there are new monsters and they are sucking the life out of you.
You wake up in the morning feeling tired instead of energetic. You stagger out to the kitchen to brew a cup of coffee. As your tired brain slowly wakes, you start thinking about all the must dos. So much to do. So little time.
Then the monsters start to rear their ugly heads. Maybe there are rumors about layoffs where you work. You’re running out of money. Your kid needs braces that you don’t have the money to pay for.
The day has just begun and you’re already almost too tired to face it.
The monsters are real
Yep. The monsters are real because you created them.
The mind-boggling thing about reality.
What you and I perceive as real doesn’t exist except in our minds.
If you look at someone, your eyes tell you that you see a real person. However, we are limited by our ability to really see the person. If we could, they might look something like the image below.
Your eyes don’t see what’s real
by h heyerlein Photography
Our senses are abysmal at giving us valid information about reality. Don’t believe me? Ask any police officer who questioned witnesses to an accident or crime just how many different accounts they hear
In his book “Don’t Sleep, There Are Snakes,” Daniel L Everett gives a stark example of how our minds create reality,” The book is the story of Everett’s experiences while living with the Pirahã, an Amazonian hunter-gatherer people.
In the book, Everett describes an incident when the excited exclamations of the people woke him one morning. When he got out of bed to see what all the excitement was about, the whole village was running toward the river.
Both Everett and his daughter walked down to the river to investigate. Here is a recount of the conversation they heard:
“Look! There he is, Xigagai, the spirit.”
“Yes, I can see him. He is threatening us.”
“Everybody, come se Xigagai. Quickly! He is on the Beach!”
Though the people kept pointing to the beach across the river and swore Xigagai was there, neither Everett nor his daughter saw anything unusual on the beach.
This frustrated the people. They couldn’t understand how Everett could be so blind that he didn’t see the spirit that they saw.
So, who was right? Was there something on the beach? Was there nothing on the beach? Does the fact that many people saw this being make it real or not?
To Everett and his daughter, it was not real, but to the Pirahã, Xigagai was a real monster. They believed it was a warning to stay off the river that day or something horrible would happen. They stayed off the river.
Can you spot the real monsters?
You only have two monsters.
- Your thoughts
- Your beliefs
You know that your five senses can deceive you. You’ve learned that your thoughts coupled with your senses can create your reality. Your reality is comprised of your set of beliefs.
That said, we would have perished as a species long ago if it were not for our ability to interpret our world and its dangers. However, real monsters, like the ones that lived under our beds or in our closets, are nothing more than a set of false beliefs.
Monsters born out of false beliefs impede your happiness, your prosperity, and your zest for life. They will eat you alive.
To see how beliefs affect your actions let’s look at a little scenario.
Let’s pretend for just a minute that you find yourself standing at the edge of a swamp full of alligators. You have a trusted friend next to you who tells you there’s a chest full of gold on the opposite shore, but your friend is afraid to cross the swamp lest he become alligator cuisine.
You are going to react in one of three ways.
You do not believe your friend. In this instance, you will take no action.
You believe your friend. Or, you have doubts but think there is a possibility your friend is right. In this scenario, chances are good that you’re going to figure out how to make it across the swamp. Alligators be damned.
In your life, the chest full of gold is anything you want to achieve. It might be a skill, a better job, weight loss, new business, travel. Anything!
Belief that the chest of gold exists for you will determine whether you act or not.
The monsters that affect your beliefs are many. A few include:
- I’m too old
- I’m too young
- I’m not smart enough
- I’m not creative enough
- I don’t have enough money
- It’ll never work
- I’m a loser
- I can’t do it
Now it’s time to slay those suckers before they pull you under the bed and eat you
How to slay the monsters
Okay, now you know that your five senses and your thoughts create your beliefs. Add them all together and you form your personal version of reality.
To slay the monsters, you must identify them. To do this:
- Be aware that what your senses tell you is your brain’s interpretation of reality.
- Question your beliefs.
- Question the beliefs of others. What they tell you is merely their version of reality.
- Question your memory of the past because it is skewed. For instance, a failed attempt at something doesn’t make you a failure.
- Be aware of your Xigagai. It creates fear where none should exist.
Now comes the slaying part.
This is so easy, even I can do it. And if I can do it, so can you.
- Go through the rest of the day doing nothing more than being aware of your thoughts. Listen to the chatter.
- Don’t try and change the thought, simply be aware of it. You’ll recognize the monsters because they will bring with them feelings of fear or anger.
- Do this for at least 3 days.
- With what you have learned, once you become aware of the monsters, they will start to fade into oblivion where they belong.
Once the monsters are gone, your life will change in more ways than you can imagine.
Inspiration to help you on your way
The next time your beliefs get in the way of your good life, read a bit of the biography of one of my personal heroes, George Washington Carver. It’s hard to imagine such greatness from a man who grew up unable to look a white man in the eyes for fear of a beating.
A more contemporary hero of mine is a guy by the name of Jon Morrow, who is paralyzed from the neck down. Hint: It didn’t stop him. Listen to this inspiring interview with him at http://thebadassproject.com/jon-morrow-entrepreneur/.
Now imagine what it will be like to wake up in the morning full of energy. You have a cup of coffee to enjoy, not out of necessity to survive. Everywhere you look you see possibilities and opportunities. You smile. It’s a beautiful day today and it will be another one tomorrow.
You have slain the monsters.
