Unseen

I was reading a story, (in: Chicken Soup for the Soul), the other day about a speaker who went to present at a school for the visually impaired. After his presentation one of the shyer students approached him and the two conversed further. But then the speaker could tell that they boy was working himself up to a question that was of particular personal importance. He turned to the speaker and said; “I trust you, so it’s important that you answer the question I ask next with honesty. You see I am blind, so I have never seen myself in the mirror and well, is there anything wrong with me? Am I handsome?” The speaker responded to indicate that no there was nothing wrong with him, and that the boy was handsome, much to the boy’s relief.

But I wonder how many of us live our lives like that? Chances are if you can read this, your vision is well enough to perceive your own reflection in the mirror. Are you holding yourself back because of how you think others might see you?

We all see the world through our own lens and no one’s opinion is more or less important.

How would you act if you looked in the mirror and perceived the most drop-dead gorgeous person in the world? Would it change the way you treated others, the way you conversed, or your career choices? I hope it doesn’t, although thinking of things this way can certainly give us some perspective.

The Pygmalion Effect describes the cycle of how our own beliefs about ourselves influence our actions towards others. Our behaviour then impacts others beliefs about and therefore behaviour towards us, which in turn reinforces the beliefs we have about ourselves.

What are you self-conscious about?

What are those things about yourself that you wish were different?

We can get caught up in those things, spending time and money on hiding them or trying to fit-in. And even after all that effort we can find ourselves wondering, “Am I doing it right? Am I normal?”

Pause to consider all the people you know and love. No two of them are the same, nor would you wish others to be anyone other than who they are. That would be unfair. So why would we ask that of ourselves? Let it be known that there is nothing wrong with you.

Hans Asperger who identified autism in 1994 once said; “It seems that for success in science and art, a dash of autism is essential. The necessary ingredient may be an ability to turn away from the everyday world, to rethink a subject with originality so as to create in new and untrodden ways.”

The best investment in time and energy can be spent on embracing what we have been given and the unique way with which we perceive the world. Helen Keller was deaf and blind but her name is remembered and despite her in-abilities her name is in the list of greats. So let’s fix our eyes on what is unseen.