Selective Attention - How Do You See Yourself?

Nov 08, 2018 0 Min Read
Alt
Selective Attention by Terry Small

You don’t perceive a reality as it really is.

You perceive a reality as it is constructed by your own mind.

Henri-Louis Bergson stated, “The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.” He was right.

Your brain thinks in pictures, not words.

Close your eyes for a moment and think of a tomato. Notice that you saw a picture of a tomato. It was probably red.

You didn’t see the letters ‘t-o-m-a-t-o’ floating in space. This picture was created in the occipital lobe of your brain. Metaphorically, we call this “the mind’s eye.”

These pictures in your mind’s eye are a big deal.

Scientists, for years, have speculated that the act of seeing things in your mind’s eye uses the same brain circuits that you use when seeing things with your physical eyes. Brains scans now show this to be true.

The mind’s eye really does exist, and it shapes your version of reality.

Your brain engages with your environment by connecting incoming stimuli with what is already stored in your brain. Most likely the dominant picture.

You check your Facebook pictures, the family album… when was the last time you mindfully checked the pictures in your brain?

It is difficult to overstate the importance of this.

Napoleon Hill once said, “You become what you think about.”

This is a powerful thought.

Your brain is a thought-producing machine. Thoughts are real forces. Thoughts produce pictures in your brain. These pictures are more powerful than you can imagine.

Any picture that is held in the mind’s eye is a force that will eventually produce an effect. And remember, thoughts that are emotionalised become magnetised. 

They attract similar thoughts.

In conclusion 

Albert Einstein once said, “Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” You will always remain where you are unless you change your picture. By changing the picture in your mind’s eye, you begin to change your reality.

Put the exact pictures you want in your brain. Once or twice won’t do it. Put them there over and over again.

Then watch things change.

 

Reposted with permission.
This article is also available in Chinese.

Share This

Personal

Tags: Personal Growth

Alt
Terry Small is a brain expert who resides in Canada and believes that anyone can learn how to learn easier, better, and faster; and that learning to learn is the most important skill a person can acquire.

You May Also Like

a vector image showing numerous soft skills

7 Soft Skills You Should Master To Advance Your Career

By William Arruda. Develop social skills that robots can't replicate. From self-awareness to virtual presence, learn the 7 crucial soft skills to excel in the evolving workforce.

May 17, 2023 4 Min Read

Alt

Raise Your Game: Leading Talent

May 13, 2015 13 Min Podcast

Man siting

Perseverance is Key to Making Your Mark

Sudhir insists that, in order to make our mark on our careers, we have to persevere in the challenges we are faced with, which helps to build the resilience and experience necessary to chase the kind of ambitious career goals we set for ourselves. But that, he believes, can only happen when we truly persevere and learn valuable lessons along the way.

May 02, 2019 20 Min Video

Be a Leader's Digest Reader