“I can’t believe she isn’t who I thought she was!”
How many times have we thought something similar? And how long did it take us to figure out that how we see people, versus who they are, can be different?
What we see is usually what we want to see. Our perceptions can be distorted by our desires and needs. At times we can even assume someone else’s intentions to prove a point, or to protect ourselves from negative assumptions about the person’s character. Through our cloudy lenses we often see the world based on expectations instead of truth and appreciation.
The good news is that there is help for this affliction. We can first become aware that what we see in another might not be entirely accurate. We can make it a practice to challenge our assumptions and stay in tune with our needs and desires so we do not cast an unsuspecting soul into our own story lines. And we can ask more questions to uncover a person’s true intentions instead of relying on filters that diminish honest reflection.
After all, don’t you want to be seen clearly and be appreciated for who you are? Think about how you can do the same for others?
Enjoy your weekend,
Dawn