In a world of pre-occupied minds, I would argue that we project and filter so much of daily experience we miss the reality now of simply being. We see, do and get unconsciously – because of our conditioning. And we see do and get consciously so as to fit in. Oh, there may be moments when we proudly go against the crowd yet in the majority of our very being and perceptions, we are still identified with the crowd.
In some sense, if we have an open and uncluttered mind and therefore mental outlook, every experience is new. We can then deal with it on merit. Or can we? What would be our reference points? Back to that conditioning?
Perhaps the perception of the image above: A cat reaching to ring the bell can be a metaphor. It may say: You may think you are just a cat. But you do have mental agility, the senses and motor skills to explore. The cat is obviously very high up – for that is usually the place for a hanging bell. That altitude is both a perspective and a reach across horizons. And that is a different attitude.
Or the cat reached up to get closer to a bird, or the frayed rope end whisked by the wind attracts its curiosity. Whatever, the cat is not showing signs of being uncomfortable!
When confronted with an experience or by arriving at some unplanned scenario, can we shift our paradigms to see differently, and therefore do differently and then get something different?
That is why I love this concept of coaching. A coach is nothing more than a mirror of reflection. We use mirrors to provide feedback. We adjust, we confirm, we reaffirm. And a coach can look at you and see your potential that may be different from what your own perception is at that particular moment. If you get to “AHA!” – then you made it worked for you. Then you are the cat and you do ring the human made bell hung from a lofty tower from which horizons have no end and a lot of little things are in perspective.