Posts tagged: perceptions

Jury Duty

For the first time in my life, I was called and served jury duty last week.  Once I got over the annoyance of having my schedule disrupted for a day and a half, I was able to truly enjoy and appreciate the experience.

The case wasn’t terribly complex (a drinking while under the influence with an above the legal level blood alcohol count) and therefore it was amazing to watch all the dynamics that came into play…from the angles the lawyers played, to how witnesses were viewed, to the mental perceptions each of us jurors carried in with us.  For the first time, I was given full permission to look at the evidence, and only the evidence, and make the best decision I could.  While we couldn’t rule from belief, we were told common sense and life experience naturally would help create our decision.  An interesting, almost seemingly contradictory set of instructions to me.

There were two charges.  We settled one of them unanimously very quickly.  The other, we ended up debating for almost two hours.  Even though we had all heard the same evidence, and studied the legal definitions together, we had different views on a couple points.  Not too surprising.  Individual perspectives really do create reality.  But what a great reminder for me to not only witness the process but be able to discuss, debate and sometimes argue in order to come to a final decision. 

Especially with our country’s Day of Independence following the trial, I felt proud, grateful and honored to live in a society that is free and has a reasonably good process for holding both the individual and the whole in balance.  So even though the 4th of July has officially passed, I continue to take a moment to appreciate all that I really have as a citizen of the United States and a member of a democratic country. 

Thank you all who have served to create, maintain, and uphold this freedom.

Tags: , ,

categories BodyMind Coaching | admin | datetime July 7, 2009 1:16 pm | comments Comments (0)

Perception Management

I was recently reading a David Baldacci book in which part of the theme was around percpetion management.  In the book, there was a perceptioin managanemtn (PM) firm whose sole job was to create a “truth” that fit the clients need to be broadcast out to the world.  According to Mr. Baldacci, these such firms do exist and governments use them to control not only the information the public receives but the “truth” of situations, like what is really happening around war.

Although I have no doubt that this happens on a societal level, I would also posit that it happens within companies, families and individuals even without the assistance of an actual PM firm.  Just think about the “truths” that get held and perpetuated in society such as if you are thin, beautiful and rich, life will be good.  On one level, we know this isn’t true and see that evidence in the traumatic and dramatic lives of movie stars.  Yet, even with the contradictory evidence, many individuals, with the help on continued marketing for products, continue to buy into this belief on some deep level.

Families can also perpetuate certain “truths” about such things as gender roles, self worth, cover ups, and archetypes.  These beliefs or truths that get “sold” to individual by families or cultures, form a foundation for beliefs and patterns which shape individuals.  Often this buy in is on a unconscious level and many of these beliefs are not fully recognized.

The good news is that you can become your own PM company and re-create the truths that serve who you are and who you want to be.  It may take some detective work to root out the old “truths” that aren’t yours or no longer apply to who you are but that in itself can be a freeing process.  Then the real fun begins as you craft your own strategy and marketing plan to put in place the reality that you wish to hold for yourself.

Of course, all of this does bring up the interesting question of, “What is truth and with different perceptions is there ever an absolute truth?“  What are your thoughts on this question?

Tags: , , ,

categories BodyMind Coaching | admin | datetime May 17, 2009 8:29 am | comments Comments (0)

WordPress Themes