Here’s Why It’s Important To See Things For What They Are

Sometimes I wonder if whatever we tell ourselves is even true. So much of our worldview is often based on other’s experiences, what they told us, and how we narrate things to ourselves. Our mind is such a powerful tool, and through it we create endless stories about ourselves and the world around us. But from time to time, it’s important to fact check it, to ask, Is this based on any solid foundation or is this just thin air? Is this thought too molded by my emotions?

Seeing things for what they truly are can keep us living with the right amount of information going forward in life, nothing less and nothing more. We don’t need to overload ourselves with information, we just need the right amount of it. Yet, on a daily basis, we see, feel, experience so much and that shapes our world view and realizing that and filtering what’s not ours is a key practice.

For example, someone tells us that they studied a certain major and never found a job in the field. It may be critical advice, but that doesn’t mean it is going to happen to you. If someone tells you not to get married young because it would be a mistake, that doesn’t mean that is a fact you need to live by. If your friend told you a harsh truth about your flaws and gave you constructive criticism, it doesn’t mean they are attacking you. If someone gives you attention and is kind to you, it doesn’t mean they are interested in you.

And so in our conversations, in our reactions, in watching others live their lives, we should always be careful about how much we just assume, how much fear jumps in, and how our emotions cloud a lot of the truth. Maybe that way you’ll feel much lighter; maybe that way you’ll really have your own world, a solid one, one that you are critical and aware of without being swayed left and right. And while it might not be easy, it is a practice that may change your life.

Others are there to guide us, to provide a fresh point of view. Information is there to feed that hungry lens of ours, but we’re here to think, feel, and walk the road for ourselves in the most balanced way possible. The narrative in your head is your whole life.