by Zack Parker
What you may conclude now that we are approaching the end of this chapter is that we are not just talking about our body’s ability to move. All this education and possible changes in perspective were not only for your body, they were also for your mind. The flexibility of the mind and mental transitions to new and more advanced perspectives are precursors to the attainment of improved physical movement and overall wellbeing; for it is only through the minds attainment that we prolong the body’s sustainment. Stay moving, both mentally and physically and don’t allow yourself to become more rigid or limited than what your age requires. Remember that this is yet another area in which we have more control than most believe. Please believe me when I tell you that movement is an asset beyond value, and any endeavor which is put ahead of its achievement and maintenance should be strongly considered first. You have the power. Make sure you start where you are now and use your power to control and manipulate your existence to allow for a life that is more to your liking. If you do this, then you will have discovered how to tear down yet another wall that stands between yourself and peace.
Chapter 15
“I see” Said the Blind Man
A t the end of this paragraph, I would like for you to close your eyes for 2 minutes. While they are closed, we are going to do a little exercise. We are going to use the power of our minds to change our perspectives. This can be done virtually anywhere and at almost any time. All that is required is willingness. Here is what I want you to try to do while you sit with your eyes closed. Imagine being without your sight. Imagine life without all the visual beauty that we take for granted on a daily basis. Then I would like for you to attempt to see your face in your mind as you sit with your eyes closed. See an image of the ocean that stands out to you the most in your memories. See your favorite sunset. Envision the face of the one person you love above all others. Take two minutes, close your eyes, and see. Do it now.
How clearly could you see what you were trying to envision? Did you struggle or did it come quickly to you? Who do you care about above all others? Where were you for the sunset and what ocean did you see? Was it hard for you to picture your face? For me these visions become clearer the longer I spend focusing on them.
My sunset is usually one that I experienced out over the ocean as I traveled from the Florida Keys, back to the mainland on a cruise ship. It was beautiful. I see the sun, and I hear the water being shed off the side of the ship. I can feel the wind and smell the salt in the air. I glance over my shoulder and see my wife standing behind me smiling. She has a good tan and looks beautiful in the light of the setting sun. I am happy in this moment.
My beach is on the Gulf of Mexico in a small town called Gulf Shores. Soft white sands line the coastline. This is where my family vacationed throughout my childhood. My wife and I got married on this beach. Right at the water's edge, at sunset, surrounded by our loved ones. Other than my childhood home, I have more happy memories here than anywhere else. I am happy here.
You have probably already guessed, but I picture my wife's face. Alise; my other half. She is my favorite. After I met her, I was no longer just “Zack.” I was “Zack” of "Zack and Alise." I became part of something bigger than myself. After I met her, I began to realize that I had to be better for "us" not just for "me." She changed my life. She is my best friend, she supports me, she challenges me, she competes with me, she makes me angry, she inspires me, and she loves me. She really does love me. When I think of her, I am happy.
The strangest thing for me is when I try to picture my face. I think what I usually see here speaks to my mental age because I almost always see a much younger version of myself. A wilder me. I see the younger version of myself that for a long time, defined me. It’s the version of me I have had the most trouble letting go of as I have grown as a human being. I have to seriously try to envision the more recent face I see in the mirror every morning. That face always seems to be thinking a lot and looks a little tired. Perhaps I have had trouble letting go of a younger version of myself because I was successful at being a crazy young person and not fully understanding where I stand as an adult is my greatest fear? I’m not sure, but I am working on it, and these questions always make me think. They make me think about how I prefer to see myself. They make me focus on what it might take to become a better version of the man in the mirror.
The last thing I usually try to imagine is being blind. It’s not too hard because I am sitting there with my eyes closed! I typically spend the most time on this one. I ponder what life would be like if I were struck blind. No sight. Nothing new would ever be added to my visual memory banks. As I sat in darkness, what would I see? How often would I attach past visual memories to current sensory perception in an effort to try and understand what was going on around me? How often would I be wrong?
It may be easy to imagine an instance of blindness while sitting with our eyes closed but it can be much more difficult to visualize the long-term version of such a substantial change. If we have always been able to see, then vision just seems like a part of existence. It can seem like a mandatory part, but it’s not. I want you to try though. Imagine how we would miss it. How badly would we long to see the world just one last time? The visual of our loved ones would only exist in our memories. How badly would we miss the simple act of looking upon the faces of our family and friends? Imagine how we would long to see the leaves change in the fall or the green forest returning from its long slumber in the spring. The ocean would merely be a sound. What about the majesty of the rising or setting sun? The shifting hues of color that are created so uniquely at every one of these events would never again grace our experience of existence. These greatest of visual delights would only exist in our memory. Imagine the withdrawal we would all go through. Do it now.
Even with this terrible blow to our existence, it would not be the end! Rest assured, life would go on. We would slowly adapt. We would find joy, happiness, and once again we would find peace. Not continuously, no more than we have now perhaps, but peace would once again be ours. It's incredible to think about. Such a significant and substantial loss of sensory perception and yet, somehow people with late in life blindness still survive and find joy in their life. So would we. We would inevitably find happiness without our sight! This dramatic change would bring about a significant shift in perspective. Perhaps we would develop a deeper appreciation for merely being in the presence of those we hold dear. Performing something as simple and usually underappreciated as holding someone’s hand would acquire unbelievable levels of importance to us. Our values would change. The cold chill of winter wind would have new meaning for us. As we felt the cold, our mind would be filled with images of the changing of the seasons and memories of the past. The smell of cooking food would become more enticing than ever. We would definitely develop new ways of seeing the world through our mind's eye.
There is no amount of money or material possession in this world that most would trade for their sight. If we were given the option between a blank check and our vision, we would choose our vision every time. I know I would. This understanding means it is priceless; valuable beyond compare. It does not matter what your situation or circumstances are. If you are poor, diseased, unliked, lonely, depressed, or disabled, if you can see, you have an asset that is above value. You are truly blessed. If those without sight can find happiness, then you should be able to match that same level with the addition of sight! To change our perspective here and understand just how blessed we truly are, is yet another asset of immeasurable value. You must only change your perspective to attain it. If you are listening to this with an audiobook or translating from brail because you are currently visually impaired or blind, then you may still apply these same principles. Simply see that life does not require the senses you still possess and you will quickly find out just how deeply blessed you are.
"I see"... said the blind man, as he realized that the true nature of reality cannot be viewed through human sight. He came to understan
d that our vision is only a connection point between reality and our emotional response to it. One of many connection points which are easily replaced and often under-appreciated. He began to understand that the quality of his emotional response to his given environment is what gives meaning to life in the first place. He thought some fear the water and others cannot live away from it, but yet, it is only ever water. Only the emotions attached to it change the way in which it is truly seen, in the mind’s eye. He then sat, in contemplation and wonderment of his own existence. "I see"... said the blind man.
Chapter 16
You Got This!!!
I sincerely appreciate you sticking with me to the last chapter of this book. I’m sure some of the topics we have covered have helped to create new and different perspectives for you, while others maybe not so much. Just remember they all had a purpose. When considering our lives from an outsider looking in perspective, it can be somewhat overwhelming. There are so many variables! Surprisingly enough, what we have covered so far is mainly just the meat and potatoes of what there is to consider. I hope most of the deeper and more personal aspects of being a human will come to you naturally as you continue to live and grow. If not then there are more books to come! Keep in mind that there is no way to become a master of these philosophies quickly. Trust me here, I am writing on them, and I am still only a student. As you have learned, it is only through consistency and conscious effort that we can begin to direct our path in the direction of our choosing. Remember your path will always continue, even on your worst days. It’s what you do after those days that will offer you the change you seek. The topics we have gone over here are important, but your life will move on regardless of whether or not you ever apply any of what you have learned in these pages. In order to reach your conclusion, there is very little required of you. Only your survival is needed for your life to continue. But, I think we all want a little more than just survival.
As time passes, you will be witness to things you have never imagined and learn things that completely change what you currently consider as fact. Because of the molding effects that life’s experiences can have on us, many changes in way of thinking will develop for you naturally. That’s how it goes with the human experience. You can forget this book and everything you have read, but on its own, your way of thinking will slowly evolve and grow. All I have tried to offer you in these pages is an improved capability to achieve these mental milestones in a more efficient fashion. If you can merely evolve your mental perspective at earlier stages in life, then you will find that your existence in this world will become much easier, much earlier on. No rule states this must happen for you, there is only the idea that it can. If self-progression sounds like too much work or too daunting of a task to consider, then I encourage you to simply drift in the current of your existence. It will carry you forward. Part of what I have tried to prove to you here is that there is nothing wrong with paddling with the current to accelerate your progress. That’s simple enough, right? Just make sure you are not in the never-ending struggle of swimming upstream and slowing your journey.
As I have said before in this book, don’t expect rapid change. What I tell my patients is that rapid change is considered injury. It is almost always painful and stops progress. Slower but progressive change is considered growth and is always a goal worth pursuing. So, what you need to do is apply these principles at a rate that feels healthy and natural to you, so they do not become overwhelming and lead to dissatisfaction and pain. Be patient with yourself. There may not be many people in this world who provide you with the patience you require for growth. That is something only you can offer yourself. You must be willing to focus on the positive things that you know to be taking place and develop a perspective that allows you to be more aware of the growth you know is occuring within your own consciousness. Don’t be overly critical of your progress. If we find ourselves dissatisfied with the demanding nature of others, then how can we expect to live a life filled with gratification if we allow overly critical thoughts to exist within our own minds?
You know who you are, you know what your values are, and hopefully, you will understand where you’re headed very soon. That is all that is required in the attainment of a perspective of success. There is nothing that will ever define your success more than your own belief that you have attained it. Never let the world control your personal idea of what a successful life is. If you do, then you will never be enough. If you can create an existence that you love and have no shame in, then you will find success wherever you are.
Could you consider yourself successful if all you had in your possession was rice and fresh water? It may be hard to imagine, but what if you lived in a village of starving people? How wealthy and successful would you be then, in the eyes of those around you? Wealth and success are all just a matter of perspective. As we have discovered in this book, perspective can change. Sometimes, a healthy change in perspective is all that is required to find joy in our moment, our days, and in our brief existence.
You sought out this book, and you have read it to the end. I do not doubt your potential. It is limitless. Because of your willingness to merely pursue answers, I can promise you that if you did not find them here… you will. Just be diligent and patient. You have got this! Remember that you have life! Life does not have you. The ease in which you will transition from day-to-day for the rest of your life will continue to happen in the same natural way that raindrops in the desert eventually return to the sea. There is no need to struggle. If you find yourself struggling, then find strength in your newfound knowledge that you are merely in an unnecessary way. Change your perspective quickly and go with the flow. If you do this, I can promise you it will very easily carry you to where you are meant to be. Like I said, you’ve got this!
Notes
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Authors Notes
Hi everyone, my name is Zack, and I wrote this book. I know that it was a little short, but I promise you I put a lot of work into it. It was originally supposed to be much longer, but the decision to shorten it was made for your benefit. I have read a lot of self-help books over the years, and one thing I have noticed is that by the time I get finished with the longer books, I have already forgotten a lot of what I read. I hope that by using this approach, it will help you to absorb more of the information and therefore make it easier to apply what you have learned.
I will be writing more parts of what will eventually be my completed work. I hope you decide to check them out. I also have a blog that I think you would enjoy. If you feel that you have benefitted from what you read or if you're curious about my other projects, then there are several ways to stay in touch. Check us out on Facebook @ Life Changer “Success in Life is a Matter of Perspective” or you can also find us at our website www.lifechangerseries.com.
I would once again like to thank you for reading my book. As an unknown author, it means so much that you took this chance with both your time and mental energy. If you enjoyed the content and would not mind sharing your opinion, then I would like to request that you go to Amazon and leave me a review. Those reviews are a critical part of getting my message out to the world. If you did not enjoy what you read then please email me at [email protected]. I will gratefully use your feedback as a guide to help me write a better book for you in the future.
Never forget, I believe in you!