Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Impressions and Perceptions 

What is the impression you wish to leave your world?
How do you want people to see you?
What do you want people to believe about you?
How can you let others know what is true for you?

Is there a way to have no misunderstandings?
There is a way to influence others with your words, behaviors and most powerfully your thoughts.
There is no way to control others’ perception of our words, behavior and thoughts.
There is no way to prevent misunderstandings.

However there is a way to choose peace.
There is a way to simply observe what appears to be.
There is a way to forgive and undo our judgments of what is.
There is a way to let go of the negative and hurtful and perceive the underlying gifts of love.

There are impressions we want to leave with others.
These impressions are best given when we believe in ourselves.
The impressions we want to leave are an act of ego, personality and body language.
Like actors on the stage of life, we are all performing.

Act angry to cover our hurt and fear.
Act angry to keep others at bay.
Act angry to get what we want.
Act angry to let off withheld energies.

Act hurt and needy to attract caretakers.
Act small and fearful to get others to protect.
Act victimized and wounded to get sympathy and help.
Act incapable and disabled to get others to do it for us.

Act compassionate to feel connected.
Act compassionate to be trusted.
Act compassionate to be helpful.
Act compassionate to extend kindness.

Act defensive to protect vulnerability.
Act defensive to avoid seeing others perceptions.
Act defensive to perpetuate separateness.
Act defensive to maintain righteousness.

Every behavior will be interpreted by others through their own set of experiences and beliefs.
Every word will be heard through filters of fears, judgments, clouds of doubt and distortion.
Every thought is a picture of what is believed that we want to be perceived by others.
Every choice we make is an opportunity to take full responsibility for what we value.

Conscious choice is our power tool.
With clarity and communication we can choose to leave an impression that is certain.
With confusion and complexity, ambivalence and fear we will leave faulty impressions that are variable.
Choosing to live what we value with our words, attitude and activities is the most effective impression we can give.  ( However others may still have their own perceptions based on what is in their mind.)

Amazing at how we are unable to control other’s thoughts….but we can control our own!
Loving us all, 

Betty Lue