We See What We Seek

What do you see?

We live in a world where there are plenty of things to notice:

Things that are exciting, things that are pleasing, things that are heartwarming, things that instill love and hope.

There are also things that are baffling, disheartening, or downright disturbing. Things that corrupt, things that tear down.

The spectrum includes the greatest love and the deepest hate, and everything in between. All these things exist.

Yet, ask 100 different people what they see and you’ll get 100 different answers, perspectives, or perceptions. What we see is strongly influenced by what it is we expect to see.

So, the question you might ask yourself is:

What do I seek most of the time?

Really take the time to ponder this.

What do I notice around me all the time? . . . in my family, in the workplace, out in public, on the internet, in public conversations?

What are the accompanying feelings I have when I look around me?

Those feelings will often clue you in to what it is you are seeking. We seek to validate our thoughts and expectations by what it is we are continually noticing.

If you see mostly negative people and circumstances then, perhaps, that is what you are conditioned to look for.

If you see mostly positive people or your thoughts are continually those of possibility thinking, gratitude, and joy, then that is what you are attuned to.

Much like a radio frequency, you have to turn the dial to the frequency that you want to receive. That channel is always sending out the signal, but you will only hear it if you tune in to it, right? This is true with television, too. You will only see what you are tuned in to. You get to decide which channel you want to watch.

It is the same for our thoughts. If you want to see positivity and goodness, opportunity and hope, you have to expect it, and look for it. You have to believe it exists. Tune your thoughts to that frequency and you will find more and more good things in the world around you.

Conversely, if all you see is negativity and fear around you, recognize that, through your thoughts, you are tuning into that frequency. You have conditioned your mind to look for whatever it is you are noticing. You see what you seek.

Here’s the good news. In an instant, you can choose to see something better. You can choose to have hope in mankind, to believe in the goodness of others, to have faith that you are worthy and deserving of something even better that is awaiting you. You can choose to believe there is good in any situation you may find yourself in. As you do this, you are attuning yourself to the frequency of those things. You’ll attract better things. You’ll notice good deeds. Your heart will be touched by all the kindness and compassion around you. You will feel the joy and excitement of life.

Does this mean there will never be any negativity in your life? Of course not. There is opposition in all things and it is for a wise purpose. There will always be negativity, however, you have the power to choose to stay in a more positive mindset. A positive attitude, perspective, and positive actions will help you see things in a different light.

Fill your mind with good thoughts

The truth is, we each have our share of strengths and weaknesses. You’ve likely heard the story of the two wolves that live inside of us. . . .

An old Cherokee chief was teaching his grandson about life…

“A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.
“It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.

“One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt, and ego.

“The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.

“This same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather,
“Which wolf will win?”

The old chief simply replied,
“The one you feed.”

This is an enlightening parable in that it reminds us that we always have a choice. These two sides of our nature are fed daily by the thoughts we entertain. What you think about and dwell upon will be the things you see in your life and they will influence your behavior.

Be mindful

Daily, seek to be mindful of what you are feeding your mind. You have a choice: seek the good by feeding your good nature and it will enhance your character, habits and behavior positively. The alternative is to seek the negative by feeding your doubts and fears. The outcome is that it can influence your world to become more negative: like poison, this can slowly eat away at your soul.