A friend recently shared this picture on his social media and while it suggests that there is a knowing that’s taking place, today I will invite you to consider the unknown in your self as well as in others.
We all experience perceptions of what others think about us in our lives and have reciprocated our knowing of those around us based on the information we receive when we observe, communicate or otherwise share experiences with our fellow human family.
We perceive for a reason, and it’s valid, to the extent that it’s accurate because we need to live together in varying ways on the planet (by now you may have already surmised that the image above is referring to the inaccurate perceptions, or as psychology refers to it “projections”, others infer about us.)
What we don’t need to do is project. If you’re not familiar with the term, projecting is unconsciously taking unwanted emotions or traits you don’t like about yourself and attributing them to someone else. This is where you may also be wondering, so…I’m supposed to love this unknown/unconscious part of myself or others?
Well, yes.
Being open and loving to questioning whether this is an action that’s even really occurring very much in your life, because it’s theorized that it is, can help us to make conscious changes about the aspects of ourselves that we may feel less aligned with.
So take some time now to consider what you still have questions about with regard to your self. How well do you feel you know your self? What are your truths that carry you through this life and that serve you in your life? Are there parts of you in a place that you’ve been wanting to explore but are hesitant to and that could be where you may be projecting on to others from?
Keep in mind that there are, of course, positive projections that are occurring just as regularly as negative ones and while it seems that the positive type of projecting that happens doesn’t cause nearly the distress that negative projecting does, the point of getting to know your self and how you present to the world matters, especially to others.
Something else you may want to try is asking someone that you know fairly well, perhaps a few people even, how they would describe you to others – both positively and negatively and you do the same for them. Be honest! Write their attributes in two columns and have them do this also and then share. How accurate do you both feel the other is? Is there something that came up that either of you can learn from? Can you love what may not have been known to you that you recognize after being told what is observed about you that is perhaps true?
I imagine you can.
TimeSpaceOne 