Seeing Beyond Labels
January 18, 2010
Our five senses collect far more input than we can ever process. To prevent sensory overload, our brain filters and edits the outside world. Through this selection process, our perception of reality is established and maintained. In other words, our reality is a filtered version of REALITY itself.
Subconsciously, our brain selects what we believe is possible, plausible and “real,” while ignoring or blocking everything else. Have you ever been in a noisy room with many conversations going on at once when out of nowhere you hear your name mentioned?
That’s your filter at work. Since you consider your name to be important, your brain filters out the less important information and focuses on your name. It’s this selection and rejection process that establishes your sense of reality. It also establishes what you consider a “problem” and what you consider a “solution.”
Modifying our brain filter isn’t easy. It’s even harder when those around us share similar beliefs and expectations. It’s hard to see a new solution when it has been labeled and accepted as a problem… but it is possible. Read more
Does Your Map Align with Reality?
December 5, 2009
It’s no secret… I am directionally challenged. More times than not, I’m lost. Unlike some people (typically men), however, I have no problem stopping to ask for directions. In fact, I’ve been known to stop at a couple gas stations in a row just to confirm that the first person’s directions were right. Knowing this, you might imagine how elated I was when GPS (Global Positioning System) became available. No longer was I stressed out by looking at maps, calling the office for help, or pulling over at gas stations. For the first time, I always knew where I was, the route I was traveling, and approximately how long it would take to reach my destination. GPS had solved my problem… or so I thought.
Believing I knew the quickest route to and from my office, I decided one night after work to see if my GPS concurred. I touched the “Home” button and in moments a pleasant female voice announced, “Please proceed to the highlighted route,” so I did. As predicted, the route it had calculated was the same as mine… until I reached a particular intersection. It was then my cheerful navigator confidently said, “Turn left in 500 feet – turn left.” This made no sense.
Turning left would have taken me the long way home—several miles more. Knowing this, I ignored her advice and took my regular route. Her response? “When possible, make a legal U-turn.” To reinforce her point, a U-turn arrow was displayed on the monitor. When I ignored them both, she started repeating, “When possible, make a legal U-turn,” and the arrow flashed. It was probably my imagination, but each time she repeated herself, I swear her voice seemed to grow more irritated.
Within two miles of my home, both the verbal and visual GPS commands abruptly stopped… then something unbelievable happened. It was a miracle! Read more