Gods or demons?

Any who have wandered the labyrinths of my writings here might notice that certain themes are often repeated. The themes are the foundations of my philosophy, so it is not unexpected that they play a major role in my blithering.

I’ll lay the core ones out so no one has to think too hard:

  • Everything, (and I mean everything) we do; everything we are, is a choice.
  • Perception is the reality.
  • Knowledge is limiting. Understanding has infinite potential.
  • The past cannot be changed. The future is an unwritten book and we are its authors.
  • Now is the only moment that we can truly interact with.

Yep that is Steve Kramer in five easy(?) steps.

Reflect. Perceive.

I have found that when we stray from our core beliefs we engender risk. Risk of hurting ourselves. Risk of hurting others. Risk of getting lost. Risk of change. Risk of growing. Risk of learning.

Risk, like everything else, is in the perception. And not always a bad thing.

But when we forget the negative sides of that risk, bad things can often happen.

I was reminded of this recently, and as is often the case am exploring my reawakening with words here and now.

Today’s relearned lesson involves perception, in case you did not guess. The way we perceive things determines the choices we make. It determines how we interact with others; determines how we see ourselves. It determines how we feel about things. Perception can be quite tricky. Slight shifts can completely alter how something is perceived, which can really be odd, even disturbing, when it happens unexpectedly. But choice can hold perception steady, even if changing perception may actually be beneficial.

We look in the mirror and see our flaws. I am overweight. I am wrinkled. I look tired. I am ugly. And we have created an image of ourselves that others too will perceive. With an active shift, the same reflection will show our strengths. I am happy. I am wise. I have bright eyes and an awesome smile. I am beautiful. And the world perceives a god instead of a demon.

We have the power to do this.

We can release the deity within us, or we can let the demon escape. It is all in how we choose to perceive ourselves. But this power is even broader than that. We can not only change our own reality, but that of others by how we choose to perceive things. Like, dislike. Love, hate. The difference between a compliment and an insult can be as small as a perceptual shift.

Tone and attitude matter as much to ourselves as to others. When we look at another, they are just a different mirror. Do we see the flaws? Or do we see the beauty? The main difference is that this time those mirrors can hear. They can see. They can feel.

What do you perceive?

And they can be hurt.

Harsh lesson relearned.

How do you perceive? Do you raise the deities? Or release the demons?