Breaking free from the prisons of perceptions

There is nothing so confining as the prisons of our own perceptions. –William Shakespeare

Maybe it’s as simple as consenting to watch a television program your teenager likes – at first you think the program is silly, but then you see why she values it and then so do you.

Maybe it happens when you’re looking for a new job because yours has been eliminated and at first you don’t want to take that great job which will require a hour-long (or longer) commute, but you do it because it’s better than waiting for the economy to rebound next year.

Maybe you encounter it when your childhood-influenced prejudice falls away after interacting with the special terrific-ness of someone you never imagined you would admire and respect.

Maybe it’s a subtle kind of thing that comes upon you as you move through life, like when you find yourself understanding someone you’ve known for many years by seeing things in a way you never have before… from their perspective.

Whatever it is, whenever it is, breaking free from the prisons of perceptions can shift a troubled moment into one of peace and joy.  I find this a suitable motivation, don’t you?