The essence of darkness lies in its lack of vision. Nothing appears as it truly is; rather, it reflects how we choose to interpret it. I sat there under the blanket of the dark hue while she sat right in front of me. She spoke her heart out, comfortable with her tears, while I sat, happy and proud of myself for having finally poured out my tears in front of someone. She interpreted my silence as the absence of a soul, while I knew that she sat only to comfort me. Glad. Truly glad!
Through all lenses and mirrors, what do we see? A reflection. So, when does our soul truly start to tear apart? When our perception is not congruent with our reflection. That’s where perception plays an essential role.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, perception is defined as “the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses”. Or “how something is regarded, understood, or interpreted”. As humans, we tend to inhale our surroundings, breathe in every form of input, and then maybe later interpret it into bizarre forms of output.
These days, we see many people around us struggling with overthinking and negative thoughts. We have become capable of producing the worst kinds of output with certain information. If we don’t keep our minds in check amidst all of this, we end up in an endless ouroboros of feeling lost, where uncertainty becomes the only constant, or, in simple terms, confused.
This is all because of the disastrous perceiving capacities we have developed as human beings. For reasons still unknown, we usually perceive every situation in the most extreme negative way possible. Usually, because it provides us with a sense of comfort of “being prepared for the worst”, but have we stopped to wonder, while we are rational and prepare for the worst, why don’t we halt and be optimistic and prepare for the best? It may not provide certainty, but it does give a sense of glee that does not require certainty.
Talking of our predicament, what we need to realise is that when we are born, our mission on this Earth is not to survive; it is to live, and living is not merely surviving; it is to sip on your bitter coffee and yet find solace in the liquid. It is to dance with the cracks under your feet and yet let your arms move to the music; it is to face the worst kind of situation and yet perceive the best outcome out of it. That’s how perception shapes our reality.
Everything in life can be broken down to shards of perception. We can choose to live in the best bubble, even in the worst situation, by having a proper perception. So cradle what feels honest; let the rest fall like dust through open fingers. In the end, perception is not just how we see the world—it’s how we stitch ourselves back together. And sometimes, all it takes to live again is the courage to see differently.