The sun sets on another day…
I found sunset to be mesmerizing and I enjoyed the colors from a distance while I drove. The sky was full of blues and violets, and there could be little that was not powerful.
I am impressed with all the people who listen in life, even if they listen to themselves. I am more impressed if they hear, more so when they hear themselves.
It is easy here to ask “What the heck is he talking about?” and if you considered I think you will see not only where I am coming from, but maybe a shadowy mirror. People often look at the world from a skewed perspective. Mainly because it is their perspective. The thoughts running through their minds are base don how they see the world, and how they interpret their effect on the world. In other words their perspective of everything is not real, it is what they perceive as real.
This creates a constant struggle based on how people see themselves and how they interpret their effect on everything. It is easy, for example, to see someone as wrong if you do not see yourself as part of the equation. An example, “Yes, I ate the cookies, but I did not prevent you from getting a cookie, you just chose the wrong time.” This can also be expressed as “I have cookies, but you can’t have the cookies because they are mine.” Both of these statements assume someone wants cookies, but they also assume control over the cookie while noting that they are not responsible for the other party.
It doesn’t work well. If people are trying to communicate they need to realize that both of them are in conflict for the central target, and as such they need to find common ground and understand each other. This leads to “You want a cookie?” and “I would like a cookie” but people sometimes don’t get that either. (All this talk of cookies is making me want to make cookies) You can even get to a point of “I would like a cookie” and the response being “here, have a carrot”. (No one wants a carrot when they can have a cookie)
So what? What the heck are you talking about?
All this silliness points out the need to remove “me me me” from the equation and start thinking about someone besides yourself. I try often, and sometimes I succeed but a lot of people don’t. They are so tied up in their perceptions that they ignore the communications of others, and in truth, ignore others. (Where did the cookies go?) As such, multiple people lose themselves trying to listen but do not hear either themselves or others.
The solution, or my suggested solution, is to try to “put yourself in their shoes”. Instead of using your point of view as some sort of golden nugget, think how you would feel if the roles were reversed. Consider well the idea that your point of view is slanted, and that if you swapped perspectives it may open your mind to new ideas. Maybe it would even mean getting cookies, or sharing them more.
So as the sun sets on another day, I think I really want cookies now. It would be nice though if people opened their minds and realized we all affect one another, and we have an effect on the world we live in with every action we take. Don’t live in a bottle, find a way to be happy and help others when you can, no matter what.
Sleep sweet, love life, and cookie time…