What is limiting your perspective?

One of the greatest things I've used the last few years to get me through the boring, but essential tasks of life, are podcasts.  I've never been much of a talk radio person, but I have fast become a talk podcast person!  The mechanics are it occupies enough of my distracting thoughts to allow me to get through things I don't really want to do - it's an ADHD trick really and luckily, it really works!

What I have observed over the years is how hard people work to put parameters around new ideas that fit into their comfort level of belief.  It is true in politics, religion, relationships, and just about anything or everything that people think about.  And then, after they've thought about what makes sense to them, they declare it is absolute for everyone else.

This is of course why there is conflict in the world and why we go to war.  We judge what another believes and because it is different than our own belief system, we think we must defend it.  However, the better question isn't who's right or wrong - it is "why is it important to you that you be right and they be wrong?"

I can give you the answer even if you don't like it...we need to feel right in order to maintain a sense of control of our world.  The more we need to be in control, the more tightly we hold to our beliefs on the subjects that threaten that control in our lives.

The more fear we have of the world outside us, the more we need to explain it in a way that makes sense to us that we feel in control of.  Those who truly search for "truth" will tell you - the more you think you know, the less you realize you know!

One of the best examples I found was trying to explain three dimensions to a two dimensional being.  If there is no concept of up or down as depth, but only width and length - how could you ever do that?  If you don't have the ability to comprehend everything within the limits of our tiny perspective - how can we ever really find the ultimate answers within it?

The more I observe others holding tight to their beliefs, the more I've had to be willing to look at my own. Clearly it can't be everyone but me!  And it is this tiny shift that has made the biggest difference in my life and own path - because it is the biggest thing that has limited me, that limits us all.

I like hearing others viewpoints because it allows me to question my own and decide what I want to keep and what is time to let go of.  An open mind is the key to freedom.  A closed mind the cell that is your prison.