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What Is Reality?

This question is as big as it gets and probably as old as time. Maybe it is the first and foremost question of all, in some ways.

Many people have tried to put forth their ideas of what reality is. And why. And how it is created. Or, conversely, how it is not real. There are many versions of it, and I won’t pretend to have the answer.

What I will say is that what reality is is exactly what you believe to be real. Whatever you believe to be real is real for you. And that goes for everyone, everywhere, all the time.

Is this relativism? Well, if your reality includes labeling things based on systems of philosophy or thought that someone once came up with, then sure. Perhaps it is something like that. But maybe it’s much more simple and yet more profound than even that.

Reality is what you put your attention on. That’s as relative as is each person’s perspective.

Alternate Realities

Let me show by example how two realities could be precisely real to two different minds, yet completely unreal to each other.

Reality 1

In one of these realities there exists nothing but snow. As far as the eye can see, the land is covered in snow. Only snow falls from the sky when it precipitates. In fact, there is so much snow that the people who live there have dozens of words to describe the types of snow that they experience.

They have no concept of warm weather, because it is always cold. To them, reality is simply cold and snowy and that is all they know. They all agree with each other that that is the way it is, and so it must be like that everywhere else.

How could it be otherwise? They cannot perceive any other way. They likely worship gods that produce cold and snow.

Reality 2

In the other reality things are quite different. There is no snow there. In fact, these people have never seen snow and never will in their lives. They live in a tropical land of sun and heat and ocean waves and storms. They find palm trees and exotic birds normal. They fish in the sea and learn how to swim.

They have many ways of understanding their own natural environments, from the jungles of their island to the corals below in the ocean. They learn how to snorkel and spear fish, evade sharks. They might worship gods of the ocean, of storms, and of things that are important to them.

They see only this reality and know of no other, cannot conceive of a world that is any different because they all agree together on the same reality.

Observations

This may seem a small thing. Two different worlds. How does that relate to reality? Both of these things are real. We know of places in the world where each of these situations are so. They are part of our greater view of reality that includes these things. Yes, to us. But not to those people living there unaware of anything else.

This can be the case with any reality. The reality of sickness may exclude the concept of perfect health to the one dealing with it. The reality of poverty may completely block the possible reality of wealth to one entrenched within it. The reality of life on planet earth may exclude the reality of life elsewhere.

Are you starting to get the picture? We can create any reality we wish by what we look at, what we are aware of, and more importantly, by what we believe. And unlike my short-sighted example where the people only knew one reality, in this greater expanded world in which we live we have the luxury of choosing between different possible realities that we learn about. Or can dream of.

How we do that is still up to us.

Creating Your Own Reality

Ok, here’s where the fun can begin. We’ve set our definitions for the topic. We have a framework. ‘Now tell me, Mr. Blogger person, how can we create a reality that we want, even if it is different from the one we see now? Can we even?’

Of course we can. It’s been done countless times before. When the Wright Brothers envisioned the reality of flight, others laughed—until the brothers proved it possible, of course. Steve Jobs had a vision for a technological future that no one could hardly have conceived of decades ago, and he held faith in it until it was created.

It is by dreaming what is not yet in front of you that you pave the way to a new reality for yourself. Envision a life and a world in which you wish to exist, and hold faith to it. It will come.

Reflections

So, what reality do you wish to create? Are you creating your own, based entirely on what you want? Or are you building it off the realities of others? You can, that’s fine. It’s your choice. But you will get more or less what those others have fashioned for their own reality.

If you want money and see the reality of working really hard at a high-stress job for years in order to put aside the money, grow your assets, and retire with the freedom to use the money, you can do that. You have seen other people create that reality and you can do the same.

Perhaps you will get similar side effects of following those models, from high blood pressure to strained relationships. That may be part of the story you are modeling. Maybe not. Again, your beliefs…

If you want to create a life you wish to have, uniquely your own, in your own heart of hearts (not based on others’ plans and desires for you and what your life should look like), you have to be very focused on your own reality-making.

A Plan

First, understand the non-reality in the reality you see that you do not wish to recreate. In other words, don’t believe in that part of reality. If you do not wish to have the life of hard work, don’t give it any attention. This flies in the face of convention, I know. I hear the collective groans across the interspaces of the web even now. Well, bugger off. It’s my reality I’m making here.

That’s what you have to do. Tell that reality you don’t like to just go away. Dodge and evade those thoughts and ideas as a skilled martial artist might dodge and evade the attacks of an opponent. This isn’t meant to put you in a constant fight mode, but it is a guardedness of mind I mean to inspire. Guard your mind from thoughts you do not prefer.

Just because a million people believe a thing is real, does not make it real. It is only real to those million people.

Second, look to what you really want. Instead of hard work, see a life of ease. Look to the dreams of your own heart. Even if it seems impossible now. Maybe your dreams will take flight like the famous brothers who invented the plane. You have to keep faith with it. You can have what you want by doing what you love and being who you are.

Always listen to how you feel. If it feels bad to think that wealth only comes through constant hard work, move away from the idea. There are many hard workers with wealth, and also wealthy people who don’t work so hard. And plenty of hard workers without wealth…

It may help to learn from others and get clarity. But it may hinder your belief in your own reality to look at theirs. This means you may have to stop yourself from reading the blog post, the memoir, that story about someone else’s life that tells you life is other than how you want it. You don’t have to justify your reality, your life, your wealth, your anything by seeing it reflected in others. It doesn’t have to be hard work or through actions you don’t prefer.

Third, reach for a better feeling. After you’ve moved away from negative feeling thoughts and beliefs, find those that feel better. This will assist you in creating your life how you want, your own version of reality that suits you.

If you want the money but wish to believe it can come easily, quickly, and without harm to your physical well being or by causing distance with your family and loved ones, by being yourself and doing what you love, then by all means focus on that reality. Even if others balk at it and say you only achieve through doing what they’ve done.

Be like the Wright Brothers and believe in your version of reality, that it can happen the way you see it. For them it did, despite the criticism they received before their success.

Final Thoughts

Believe in magic, miracles, the power of the universe, whatever you want to call it. Ignore naysayers. Be powerful unto yourself. Those others aren’t living your life for you, after all, so who cares what they say? Be bold. Be weird if you have to be. Be yourself. Live your own life.

In truth these three steps are essentially the same thing and can be done simultaneously. It is possible to evade realities you wish to distance yourself from; envision what you do want; and reach for the better feeling reality all in the same instance.

This is the mastery of thought we all wish to have. This is the teaching so many have offered throughout time. And this is the perfect time to seize that power for yourself.

Live your dreams. Create your own reality. Forget all those other ones. Be you.

 

Thank you for reading. I hope you can go about creating your own reality, for your good and for the good of all.

 

Please share this message so that others may partake of this learning.

Blessings to all,

Matthew