Perception: Catepillers, a Parable and a Shift in Consciousness

WORD OF THE WEEK:  PERCEPTION

“What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly.”
~ Lao-tzu

noun:  The ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses.

In these tough economic times I think the majority of us have been faced with learning how to make some tough and hard adjustments in our lives.  We’re rethinking the way in which we live, we are cutting back, and doing with much less.  This isn’t a bad thing!  In fact, it’s a wonderful way to re-learn how to appreciate all that we do have!  This is an opportunity to study our perceptions of life and appreciate all that we are and all that is around us.  I think the best way to illustrate my point is through this parable:

Who Is The Rich Man? One day a wealthy father took his son on a trip to the country so that the son could see how the poor lived. They spent a day and a night at the farm of a very poor family. When they got back from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip?” “Very good, Dad!” “Did you see how poor people can be?” “Yeah!” “And what did you learn?” The son answered, “I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden; they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the house; they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard; they have the whole horizon.” When the little boy was finished, the father was speechless. His son then added, “Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are!”

There are SO MANY things that we can at little to no cost.  Take a walk at your local park and soak in all the beauty!  Collect fallen leaves and identify them when you get home.  Every new season has something spectacular to offer — nature is there to enjoy, so go marvel in it!  Plus, as an extra bonus, you’ll be getting fresh air and exercise!

There are also many inexpensive gifts you can make!  Handmade crafts are always appreciated and your wallet will appreciate them as well!  Ideas are here and here!

If you are the parent of a little one… there’s also a GREAT website I visit often called Living Montessori Now.  Deb, the author, has tons and tons of great ideas… many of which you can put together at home with little money!!!!

Personally, I think what we are all going through is the “shift” that is being talked about.  That shift in consciousness, awareness, in our thinking, in our spirituality, in our hearts and our minds.  It’s the glass of cold water thrown in the face of humanity, the wake up call that we all have been waiting for.  This is our time to evolve and understand that we are all one in spirit.

It’s a shift that has been prophesied for thousands of years.  It’s sort of like we’re all about to grow up.  Eventually we’ll realize that we don’t want to live in a material world, a world of fear, greed, and hate… but we’ll choose to live in peace, harmony and love.   All the negative stuff going on right now is just helping us to open our eyes to what is truly important, to what will truly nurture us on a higher level.

So rather than perceiving these times as desperate, try and think of them as an evolution of spirit.  Work on the inner you, spend quality time with your family, plant a garden, enjoy laughter, and love life — regardless of what you think you have or don’t have.  Change isn’t always easy, but then again… when you look back… it wasn’t really that hard at all!