Perception… reality passed through internal filters, formed by one of three methods, and on into your conscious awareness.  Your perception of reality is all that really counts, when it comes to making choices.  There is no way to distinguish your current perception of reality from reality itself, but you CAN change your filters and then re-evaluate reality, possibly changing your perceptions.

Now you know that you have all these internal filters affecting every part of your life, because they affect how you see every part of your life.  And you even know how they are formed and how they can be either strengthened or weakened.  But how do you become aware of what filters you currently have in place?

The first, and easiest, method of becoming aware of your filters is to look at a situation from another perspective.  That is, imagine how someone else would see it.  If it’s different than how you see it, you can look at the differences and begin to see your filters.  For instance, let’s say you are looking for a house and you come across one that’s in relatively good shape, but it’s a bit run down.  Now you might see this as a sign that the previous owner didn’t take care of it, and you’ll want to look for another house.  But another person might look at it and see an opportunity to fix it and get the satisfaction of doing something worthwhile, as well as imprinting their own tastes.  The differences, such as one seeing it as a negative while the other sees it as a positive, shows you a little of the filters you’re applying to that situation.

If you want to use this method to find your filters, then it is best to try to find as many different circumstances where you can apply the technique as possible.  Even situations that don’t appear related can often be passing through the same filter.  Buying a car and buying a house, for example, both generally pass through a “value for the money” filter… although if the cost is insignificant enough compared to your income, it may NOT pass through that filter.  Your filters will become clearer (and more optional… a filter you’re aware of has less power than one you apply subconsciously) as you try this process in more and more situations.

Another way of becoming more aware of your filters is to simply imagine a situation, and try to picture as many different possible ways to approach the situation as you’re capable of doing.  This has the benefit of not being immediately involved in the situation, which removes some of the pressure, and gives you time to work out what your filters are in peace.  It also lets you try to find filters in situations that are not common, like buying a house… for most people, it’s not something you do all that often, although some real estate investors do it regularly.

This second way has a disadvantage, though, in that it’s more difficult to picture how you would REALLY react in a given situation than it is to determine from actually being in that situation.  This means that you can give yourself a false picture of your filters, although if you are honest with yourself, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue, as it normally occurs when you try to deny something about yourself (like “I wouldn’t lie” or “I would definitely give money to that cause” or that sort of thing… trying to convince yourself that you are a “better” person… what makes someone a “better” person is an article all to itself).  It’s just something to be aware of, not something to particularly concern yourself with… just be honest, it’s not like anyone else can see what you are imagining.

The third, and most difficult, way to find your filters is to find a quiet place where you can be alone (which, if you’re a parent, can be difficult all by itself!) and choose a topic.  The topic can be as general or as specific as you wish.  When you have your topic selected, close your eyes (to eliminate visual distractions) and just let yourself consider your filters for the chosen area.  If you are really trying, at least a few of the filters closest to the surface should come to your attention.  After all, those filters belong to the subconscious, and the subconscious does the conscious mind’s bidding when given direct, clear orders.

If you repeat this third technique over time, on the same topic, you are likely to find deeper and deeper filters coming up, some of which are likely deep enough that you had no idea they were there.  As in the previous techniques, there is some bleed from topic to topic, too.  You may have a “fear of failure” filter which very nearly everything processes through, or you may have a “fear of being alone” filter that situations dealing with those you are close to hurting you pass through.  Some filters, on the other hand, may be as specific as “mail that comes from Delaware has to do with banking/credit cards”… that one’s from personal experience.

Regardless of how specific or general a filter is, one thing holds true:  A filter loses much of its power when you become aware of its presence.  That means that you will be much more free, much more able to see more of the possibilities in a situation as you become aware of more of your filters.  You will also find the ability to create, change, or discard filters grows with your general awareness of their existence, and obviously you cannot choose to change or discard a specific filter if you are not aware of it.

So, that’s it for this article… a little more detail on creating, changing, and discarding filters in the next.

Articles In This Series:  Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4