Which Glasses Would You Choose?

What if I told you that depending on what glasses you chose, your view of the world could be quite different..you could choose a pair that allows you to see everything that is wrong in the world....or you could choose a pair that allows you to see all that is right in the world...you could choose a pair that allows you to see all that is scary and threatening or you could choose a pair that allows you to see all the great opportunities that exist for you. Which pair would you choose? The truth is, we have this choice....but it doesn't involve selecting a certain pair of eye glasses. Instead, we have science on our side. Something called the Reticular Activating System (RAS) which is essentially a bundle of nerves at our brainstem that filters out unnecessary information so the important stuff gets through. The best part-We get to program our RAS so that it knows what we have deemed to be important. It's why you can hear your name if it's said across a crowded room. If you say, 'show me all that is wrong with this situation' your RAS will gladly comply. But if you say, 'show me all that is right with this situation,' your RAS will also gladly comply. Even better, your RAS seeks information that validates your beliefs. Let's look at an example. Two people enter a restaurant. Let's call them Tammy and Bob. Tammy enters believing that she will get seated at a terrible table and the silverware will likely be dirty and the server will be incompetent. Bob enters believing he'll get seated at a fantastic table with clean silverware and a superb server. Bob and Tammy sit down. Immediately, Tammy doesn't like where she was seated and inspects her silverware only to find it's dirty. She immediately calls over the server to complain and ask to move tables. Bob sits down and immediately notices the great views out the window and the nice artwork and lighting. The server comes over and warmly welcomes him to the restaurant and shares some amazing specials for the evening. Spoiler alert: Tammy and Bob came together and were seated at the same table. What happened? Their Reticular Activating Systems were programmed very differently and thus their experience of the same situation was totally different as well. The same thing can happen when you enter a work meeting or step onto the stage to give a presentation. The key is to "choose the right glasses to put on." IE: properly program your RAS. It can take time but stay with it and over a period of time, what you see in the world will change and best yet...your RAS will seek information that validates your beliefs. So it will get easier to see what is right in the world.