This story involves a man who could not see his hand in front of his face.  For the man could see everything beside him, and around him, but often failed to see his own hand when he held it directly in front of his face.  The man would go around asking people on the street, who often thought that he was crazy.  He would ask them, “can you see my hand?” Of course, people could see it and they would shrug their shoulders and walk away hurriedly.

Then one day, the man asked a young child who was holding her mother’s hand.  “Excuse me, young girl, can you see my hand?”  the girl laughed and said, ”of course, silly, I can see your hand and so can you.  You just aren’t’ looking in the right place for it.”   The man said, “wait,” as the mother hurriedly tried to pull the girl along their way.

“Can you explain what it is you are saying.  I do not understand.”

“Of course I can,” said the wise little girl.  You are looking in the wrong place.  You are looking for where you think your hand ought to be rather than where it is.  When you hold up your hand you assume that it should be right in front of your face, but it is actually on the side of your head.  Just because you think it is in front of you, you refuse to look anywhere else for it.  Just look for your elbow and follow it to your hand.  Then you will always be able to find it.”

The little girl then left quickly with her mother scolding her on how she should not talk to strangers.

The man, felt a wave of relief come over him, as he did what the little girl suggested.  He first looked for his elbow and carefully followed his arm to the end where he could see his hand.  He realized the little girl was right, in that he thought he was holding his hand directly in front of his face, when actually, he was holding it on the side of his head.  How foolish he felt, but he could not overcome the feeling of peace and joy that succumbed him.

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This is a short story, but illustrates a very important topic.  The topic of how our expectations can influence our beliefs and our reality.  For the man, expected to see his hand in front of him, and panicked when that was not the case.  Rather than using his logic and looking around and understanding that he didn’t put his hand in front of his face, but rather to the side of his head.  The man, decided that there was something wrong, when in fact it was there the entire time.  His expectations were out of sync with his reality.  He expected something, and then assumed the worst when it was not there.

Much like how people expect to see something, the man expected to see his hand.  Rather than following logic and finding it another way, he refused.  He refused to consider another path or avenue, or to even consider what his logical mind was telling him.

He appealed to many people when he finally met someone who would help him.  He had the answers the entire time, but refused to listen to himself, for he felt everyone else knew better than he did.  Even a little child.

We all know that children are often times much more open and wiser than their adult parents and cohorts, which made the little girl’s opinion that much more sacred to the man.  He did not need to look outside for the answers.  Inside he had everything that he needed.

Often times, we are so busy looking to others for the answers, we fail to see our own hand when we place it on our head.  We fail to understand how our expectations influence what we think is our reality.  We fail to realize that we can influence our reality, by changing our expectations and our thoughts.

For our thoughts and expectations are the things that actually form what we call a reality.  The fact of the matter is that there is no reality, as many sometimes call it.  There is only our perception of what we think is real, and by thinking it, we in turn make it real.  Thus, we make our own reality.

Reality is a perception and everyone has a different perception.  If you understand that, you will find that there is no need to attempt to convince others of your side, or your beliefs.  For you all have a reality, it’s just not the same one.

We can work tirelessly to convince others they are incorrect, or that they should believe what you believe, or the like.  When all we need to do is to understand that the movie you are watching looks much different to others, even though you think that you both are watching the same movie.  The fact is that you both are watching the same movie, but your perception of that movie is vastly different, thus creating an entirely different view and interpretation of that same movie.

The movie is your world around you.  The physical, non physical, and energy around you.  Many people can see things that others cannot.  Many people can hear and feel things that others cannot.  That is because you all have developed a different level of perception using the various senses.  And the senses that you all have developed are often times quite different.

We talk about “you all’ as the people living in the physical world.  In the non physical world we have some of the same things, where we can view our realities differently.  However, we are not thinking in the physical terms.  For we only think and act with energy, although, quite different energies amongst ourselves.

So, we would challenge you and the readers of this work, to make an attempt, to really attempt to understand that the person sitting across from you at the dinner table, has a quite different view of the world.  They have a quite different perception and a truly different reality than you do.  We challenge you to absorb their energy, getting an understanding for who that person is, and try to better your understanding for what their perceptions and reality might look like to you.  Try to understand them for who they are, not for who you would like them to be; or for who you think they should be.  That is like the man who insists that he should see his hand in front of his face, even though it is nowhere near his face.

We challenge you to open your eyes, your ears, your hearts, and your soul.  Open up to the people in your life and see them for who they really, truly, are.  See their inner spirit, their soul, their source energy.  See them for who they are and not for who you wished they were.  We challenge you with that; and if you meet that challenge, you will find a deeper source of understanding, empathy, and love than you have ever experienced.

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The man who cannot see his own hand because it’s not where he would like it to be, has failed to learn that his expectations do not make his perception, but that his actions and the interpretation of those perceptions make his reality.

Written Apr 7, 2008 9:48-10:08 PM