Lenses

I have mulled over a couple of fascinating thoughts since my last letter, but the most interesting one just came to me from a tweet last night:

Life is incredibly dynamic, and with nearly 8 billion people inhabiting this planet, there are hardly any identical experiences. There is the world — Earth, where we all live — and within it exist 8 billion worlds, each representing the sum of individual human experiences. I find it fascinating that two people can go through the same series of events but perceive (and experience) them in entirely different ways.

We all know the saying: 'we do not see the world as it is, but as we are.' Perspective is everything, and as cliché as that phrase may be, it holds a simple truth. While there are truths, some of which are absolute and self-evident, even they must pass through the lenses of our life experiences before we can examine (and internalize) them.

This is how I see it: events unfold around us, but they only begin to impact our state of mind once we observe them. Observation becomes possible when new information breaks through what I term the 'mind barrier'—a metaphorical film marking the boundary between our inner selves and the outside world. This film comprises every experience we've had, every conviction we hold, every doubt and skepticism we've acquired—at great cost—and it is ever-changing. Each new observation leaves its mark on the film, causing a minor dent, rip, shrinkage, or reinforcement.

It is fascinating how much difference a simple change in perspective can make in the quality of this experience we call life. Even the greatest suffering becomes bearable with a change in perspective.

Till the next one my friend,

🥂