The Tribune

By MICHELLE MILLER

PERCEPTION, they say, is 99 per cent reality - or better 99 per cent of your reality. If you agree with this, the question is: what makes up your perception?

That’s the million dollar question that people seldom ask. Yet, every lens of perception is made of up varying ingredients, which ought to be clearly understood.

There’s no doubt that the way you perceive things, be it yourself, your life, the world, religion, politics and even the way you perceive God, depends on many factors. Chief amongst them is information and the source of that information.

Much of our dos and don'ts come from the behaviour of people in the environments in which we spend our time. Culture and traditions shape many social norms and these norms influence thinking and behaviour. In a sense, people are influenced by people.

Depending on who those people are and how they are socially perceived, they can influence the way you see things (your perception). As the saying goes - people see, people do. As children, early on we learn to model the behaviour patterns of our parents or the adults in our communities. Whatever the behaviour of those adults, positive or negative, it shapes the child’s perception and they, too, will adopt similar behavioural patterns.

To change/improve behaviour, you must first understand and de-mystify the lens of perception guiding the behaviour. All behaviours are the results of a formula, not the formula itself. Results cannot change without first changing the ingredients that make up the formula. The question is how do you do this?

Start by taking an honest, deeper look at the stuff that makes up your perception. Who are you listening to, what are you reading/watching, where are you spending your time? You are the result of whoever or whatever you repeatedly absorb into your mind.

From the beginning of time, information has been the greatest influence on the mind and nothing has changed. In today’s savvy information age, it is still the primary potent influence that shapes perception and influences behaviour. Whatever information you hold now about who you are, what you can or cannot do, where you can or cannot take your life, is directing what you think, the way you feel and how you behave, whether you believe it or not.

Information plus repetition plus the element of emotions becomes a potent, mind-changing cocktail. Consider learning your ABCs. First you didn’t know it but once it was emotionally repeated, the deal was done. Even now, the old ABC song remains tattooed into your mind.

Indeed, information is the genesis of life as we know it. For this reason, it is imperative that you identify who or what is shaping your perception and influencing your life direction.

Leader to leader, you are the chief architect of your life. You have full authority to shape and re-shape your perception according to your own desires. Make it your business to seek out quality information that inspires your mind and empowers your life. Taking ownership of your perception is a great start to living the life that you love.

• What do you think? Please send your comments to coaching242@yahoo.com or 429-6770.