It Really Is Everything

The beginning of this year was ROUGH.

TL;DR POOP

But it reminded me that I long ago figured out that the key to survive in this totally whack world is perception.

Is the glass half empty or half full?

One of the final speeches I will present to earn the Advanced Communicator Silver award is the fifth project within the advanced manual Speaking to Inform – The Abstract Concept. Present the thought of experts on an abstract concept, theory, historical force, or social/political issue. Present the ideas in a clear and interesting manner.

I don’t know how much the thought of experts will actually happen, because most of the definition of perception is dependent on, well, your perception.

“There is no truth, there is only perception.”

Gustave Flaubert

A farmer has only one horse. One day, his horse runs away. His neighbors say, “Oh no. This is such bad news. You must be so upset.”

The man replies, “We’ll see.”

A few days later, his horse returns with twenty wild horses following. The man and his son corral all twenty-one horses. His neighbors say, “Aha! This is such good news. You must be so happy!”

The man replies, “We’ll see.”

One of the wild horses kicks the man’s only son, breaking both his legs. His neighbors say, “Oh no. This is such bad news. You must be so upset.”

The man replies, “We’ll see.”

The country goes to war and every able-bodied young man is drafted to fight. The war is terrible and kills every young man, but the farmer’s son is spared since his broken legs saved him from the draft. His neighbors say, “Aha! This is such good news. You must be so happy!”

The man replies, “We’ll see.”

Yes, ultimately, perception is everything – and if you change your perception, you can change your world.

Glass half empty? Glass half full?

Who cares?

You have a glass! You have some water! You have the capacity to appreciate that you have a glass and you have some water!

You can drink the water and you’re no longer as thirsty! You can share the water with a friend!

You have a friend!

Now it’s about damn time to drink the water. Put the glass down.

And, if you need to, change your perception.

Squint your eyes. Climb a mountain. Turn upside down. Learn a new language. Take a deep breath in and let it out again. Dance. Sing. Howl at the moon.

Smash the glass.

And be free.


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