Perception is Projection

It’s not what you look at that matters: it’s what you see. Perception IS projection

Your Past behaviour lays the groundwork

Your past behavior has laid the groundwork for what is the current cycle of your life.

Behavior is the way in which you act or conduct yourself, especially toward others.

Where does your current behavior come from? It’s the product of your life as you know it right now. It comes from your daily thoughts and actions. It’s your current perception of all the things that surround you.

Perception is projection

This is important to note because perception is your ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses. Perception is the biggest factor in what makes you who you are. Your perception of any given situation determines the outcome, the way you will act, or behave, and how you feel about things.

“Perception is projection”

Carl Jung, noted Swiss psychiatrist, made the astute observation that perception is projection. And it couldn’t be more true. The world around you today exists as you see it, not necessarily as it really is.

To be happy we need to change the way we think

If we really are what we think, and we aren’t happy with that, the key is then to start changing the way we think so that we will be happy.

Repeating the same cycles in our lives, happy or not, is not pushing us ahead, is it?

That was not rhetorical. I want you to think about it.

• What are you holding onto?
• What are you repeating?
• And what good is it doing you?

I am not judging you at all; I am just asking the questions that I think need to be asked. 

Action task: Make a list of what you shouldn’t be holding onto

It can only help you to make a quick list of things in your life that you are holding onto right now, that you may or may not need.

• For example, you need a job—but it does not have to be the one you have making you miserable.
• You may want a relationship—but should you stay in one in which the other person doesn’t respect you?

You get the point?

You have goals, and in part, half-halfheartedly, you may have accomplished them. But if you aren’t happy, and you keep faking it, you are not projecting the right things to get what you want out of life. 

Is it time to move on?

So, look at your boring job as a learning experience, update your resume, and move on. Thank your romantic partner for their time, and all you have accomplished together, be glad for it, and move on. If you can alter your perception of potentially bad, or harmful things, and chalk them up to a new phase of life, an opportunity, and so on, you will start get back the good things you want in life. 

Adapted from my upcoming book Accounta–F***ing-Bility.