Perception is the most basic aspect of truth. If you want to improve some part of your life, you have to look at it first. For example, if you want to know how your relationship is doing, a good place to start is to ask yourself: How do I feel about this relationship? What parts are working well? What parts need improvement? Ask your partner the same questions and compare your answers. Figuring out where you stand will help you decide what changes you’d like to make.
Perception is a key component of personal growth because we react to what we perceive to be true. Facing the truth of your situation causes you to trigger new desires. When you step on the scale and see that you weigh more than you’d like, you think, I want to lose weight. When you get clear about what you don’t want, you gain clarity about what you do want. These new desires can help drive you in a positive new direction, but nothing will change until you first admit that you’d like it to.
The first step on your path of personal growth must be to recognize that your life as it stands right now isn’t how you want it to be. It’s perfectly okay to be in this position. It’s okay to want something and have no idea how to get it, but it’s not okay to lie to yourself and pretend everything is perfect when you know it isn’t. The closest you’ll get to perfection will be to enjoy the experience of lifelong growth, including all its temporary flaws.
It’s easy for me (Steve Pavlina) to say that you should face the truth about your life, but in practice this can be very difficult to do. It’s hard to admit that you’ve become dissatisfied with your relationship. It’s hared to accept that you made the wrong career choice. It’s hard to look at yourself in the mirror and realize that you don’t like the person you’ve become. But despite how difficult this is, it’s still necessary. You can’t get from point A to point B if you stubbornly refuse to acknowledge that you’re at point A. Denying A, fighting A, or otherwise resisting A only keeps you stuck at A.
What do you perceive about your life that you’d like to change? Are there any addictions or destructive habits you’d like to break? Would you find more fulfillment in a new career? Would you rather be living somewhere else? Open your eyes. Look around you and notice what you like and dislike about your life. Don’t worry about setting specific goals just yet; just become aware of what you perceive and how you react to those perceptions.
* Source: Personal Development for Smart People by Steve Pavlina