Even with the scientific explanation in mind, I have not been able to see that dress as anything other than white and gold (and allegedly it IS blue and black).

It’s so annoying not to be able to overcome my perspective on this and see the truth in the photo! So, drawn in by the idea of mastering this, I just watched this video and what really stood out for me is what he says at 1:51:

“This is a beautiful example of how our brains have evolved to interpret the world around us, without us even realising.”

That got me thinking. If I am this rigid in my thought about this dress, where else am I making assumptions and not seeing what is really going on?

We all know that experts used to be adamant that the world was flat. I’ve even heard a story about a man who died from hypothermia when he was trapped in a meat freezer, though later it was discovered that it wasn’t switched on.

The power our perception has over our reality is immense. And for each of us, our perceptions about who we are and what we are capable of doing directly correlate to our own personal belief system and attitudes.

They can make or break us. But if they don’t serve us well, with the right tools and focus, we can choose to change them.

To get an idea of what’s possible, ask yourself:

– What one thing is holding me back, more than any other?
– What is my current perspective on that?
– What is true about that?
– What is not true about that?
– What other perspectives COULD be possible in this instance, if anything were possible? (Come up with at least five alternatives)
– Which one of those serves me best? And how?
– What is possible in this perspective?
– How could the future be different now?
– What are you willing to do and when, in order to move forwards?

If you’d like to work through this in a 1-to-1 session with me, then please get in touch.

I often introduce morning and evening ‘power questions’ for clients to help them become mindful, positive and in control in their lives.

So when I watched this video with Oprah, I really liked Mariel Hemingway’s take on the importance of having a couple of simple morning and evening rituals. See the 4:32 minute video here.

As Oprah says “A daily ritual is a way of saying… I am taking care of myself; I love myself.” And she’s not necessarily talking about yoga or meditation – something as simple as taking the time to make yourself a cup of tea every morning and allowing yourself to approach the day with a sense of ease can do the trick.

Plus, a daily review every evening is a brilliant way of setting up your intentions for the next day and consicously learning how to do things differently in future (or choosing to do them the same).

So, to summarise, my take on the three easy steps that this approach teaches is:

1. Set up a simple daily ritual to ease yourself into your day. And make it important to do it.

2. In the evening, review how your day went. Ask yourself, what did I do well? Did I accomplish what I wanted to do? Was I kind? Did I live up to being the best version of who I can be? What could I have done differently? Focus on the positive progress and learnings.

3. And the last thing before you go to sleep, visualise what your day will be like tomorrow and set your intentions for the next day. Ask yourself, how am I going to approach my day to get the most from it? And then enjoy waking up to the feeling of that day.

#mindfulnessmatters