Don’t Judge a Book by the Cover

We’ve all heard this statement and we know that the sentiment implies that there is more below the surface than what we see at first glance.  We also know that covers can be deceiving, shallow, inappropriate representations and sometimes even downright misleading. Is it possible that the surface of people is the same as the cover of a book?  Can the surface of anything ever actually ‘be’ face value?

Perception is 99% of Truth

So here’s where it gets a little bit hairy. It ends up that although we are looking at something on the surface, it is our personal perception that decides what it means, what it is and what we think or feel about it.  The truth is that we are each active participants in the perception of a thing and therefore we are also an active creator in the thing itself.

Yes, You are a Creator of Everything in Your World

The same goes for our perception of people. For example, imagine yourself looking at a homeless man on the street who has ragged dirty clothing, a scruffy beard, greasy hair, a toothless grin, has his hand resting on a shopping cart full of ‘junk’ and is sitting on a piece of cardboard. His other hand is holding a used coffee cup with a few dollars stuck inside.

On the surface, you might feel sorry for him, be disgusted by him or bless him. You may not know that this man, despite his outward appearance, is experiencing more peace, freedom and love than he ever knew in a life where he was clean, gainfully employed and owned a home.  In fact, you don’t know anything at all about this guy except what you have decided his appearance means.

So where does your judgment and these thoughts come from? They don’t come from his appearance. No. They come from whatever his appearance means to you; and the meaning you derive comes from your belief systems, your personal experience and your upbringing.  All of these together form your opinion of what is in front of you.  In your mind you create a whole back story about this man or whatever ‘cover’ you are looking at. You decide what it all means to you. You impose your own standards and rules based on YOU, not on what you see, but on what you think it means.  And you decide this is truth.

As You See a Thing (or a person) It Becomes the Truth for You

 

Yes, we each live alone in our world, in our own truth, and at the same time we are all one – because it is our joint creation and perceptions that make up what we each and all experience as this world, this life.  What you see and what I see, even as we are looking at the same exact thing or person, is colored by our personal experience of it. No two perceptions are alike and therefore no two worlds are alike. What you see on the surface is yours alone. I invite you to take a look below the surface of what’s in front of you, and also to look below the surface of your own reflection. You may be surprised with what you create.

 Now, that’s Powerful!

Want to meet some women who look below the surface? Attend a Powerful You! meeting and connect with our perceptive members. www.powerfulyou.com

 Are you an aspiring author? Share your creation in our next anthology book. www.powerfulyoupublishing.com

Wishing you the Joy of Creation!

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Want to use this article? You can. Simply use the article in its entirety, leave all links intact and include the following info about the author. Thank you!

About the Author:  Sue Urda is an Author, Speaker, Inspirer and Co-Founder of Powerful You! Women’s Network, She was named twice on Inc. Magazines list of the 500 Fastest-Growing Private Companies and is the author of three books, Powerful Intentions Everyday Gratitude, Women Living Consciously and Empowering Transformations for Women. Sue’s vision is to contribute to a global consciousness of women helping women succeed in business and in life and to open them to truth of who they are.  www.sueurda.com  www.powerfulyou.com

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