Where to shine the light
Imagine yourself floating in the black, black vastness of space. You struggle to see, much less accurately perceive and interpret, what’s there. Your only source of light is the single beam of the flashlight you hold in your hand.
This is about as much of "reality" as we are able to perceive at any given moment. You can change where you aim the beam of light, but there is always more — exponentially more that is "true" than you can ever hope to see.
"Great!" you say. "As if my job and my relationships and my life weren't difficult enough!"
Ah, but there is such power here. For once we embrace this truth, we can stop pretending that what we notice at any given moment — that is, wherever we happen to be pointing that beam of light — is what IS.
Let me use you as an example. How much of who you are do you think others really notice? Can they hear incessant chatter in your head? Can they see your dreams or feel your fears? Do they know how you perceive them, how you interpreted what they say, why you’re so distracted today? Do they know the tag on your shirt always bugs you or that you're worried that the lump in your skin is something serious?
Now, imagine the scope of “reality” that remains unseen in every interaction, every conversation, every decision!
So let's stop the charade. Let's stop pretending we know what is "real." When we do this, what remains is choice — the choice of where to aim the light.
“First, see differently” means we first acknowledge that what we see is not “reality,” but a narrow sliver of reality defined by where we shine the light of our perceptions — and how curious we are about what’s just beyond the edges of that light.