I see blue sky, green grass, and yellow flowers. I can’t see red apples as my eyes perceive the color red as deep gray. I’ve been told that it’s because horses have a different eye structure from humans and can only see things in blues, yellows, and greens. My eyes don’t have the cones to produce the colors red, purple, or orange.

When you look at yourself in the mirror, what do you see? I guarantee that you don’t see the same thing I do. You also don’t see the same thing your mother, your partner/spouse, or your dog sees.

Perception is a tricky thing. We can only relate to our own perception, so we naturally assume everyone sees things the way we do. But as we mature and become wiser, we recognize that this is so far from the truth! Everyone’s perceptions are colored by their previous experiences, their culture, their brain function, and their unique senses. We all see things differently.

The next time you’re in a conflict with a person, or even your horse, remember… how they view the situation is very different from how you see it. Just recognizing that will help you take a step back from the emotions at hand and give you a chance to respond in a different way.

Someone once said: we don’t see things as they are; we see them as WE are.

Continue reading Motivation from Moshi 74, by Jane Savoie →

Black and white. Yes and no. Up and down. Sickness and health. Positive and negative….

We live in a world of contrast. It’s the duality of Nature that makes up our physical world. Without that contrast, we wouldn’t be able to perceive. It’s in knowing dark that we can recognize light. It’s in being able to experience silence that we can hear noise. The comparisons go on and on.

As infants, people are trained to show a preference for one thing over another. Most well-adjusted (note that you have to be “adjusted”) children develop a preference for positive feedback over negative. For “yes” over “no”. For health over sickness. For “happy” over “sad.” Humans are trained from birth to compare and prefer.

What if nothing you experienced was actually “wrong” or “right,” but just an experience? How different would your world be if you didn’t judge what happened in your life, but, rather, just observed your physical and emotional perceptions of whatever showed up?

In many Spiritual philosophies, it’s the pain from living with the judgement of what occurs that is recognized as the most difficult part of being human. Release that judgement, and enlightenment is possible.

Continue reading Motivation from Moshi 73, by Jane Savoie →