‘A View From The Shed’…an excerpt

‘The View From The Shed’…an excerpt
A Psychological and Spiritual Journey into Perspective
…. Chapter Nine: Perspective/Introspection

‘In Acceptance… A single point of view is but one step upon a staircase. A valid perspective, the multiple of all steps gleaned. An overview simply lines upon a ladder. An insight, the three dimensions of every step dreamed. Reality, is a flat smooth surface. Delusion, the air in errant movement above. Madness, the belief of knowing. Omniscience, the acceptance of love.’

My cat talks to me incessantly. For a time I thought he was always asking for something, as indeed he so often does: let me outside, feed me, want water, pat me, arrange my food just so… and the like. But I’ve begun to realize he is often comfortable when he vocalizes, no look of expectation, but a calm relaxed cat trying to say something. I’ve learned many of his sounds, as to his asking, but I just wish I understood the conversations we appear to be having. He must think I’m an idiot, unable to understand the simply queries of a cat, when I, a human being that uses complex language, has not a clue.

Truly, I tend this cat with all my being, catering for his every whim, as I believe he is my responsibility in life, my choice, and therefore I wish to give him every opportunity to lead a blissful, fulfilled life and know that he is loved selflessly and completely. And to this intent he responds one hundred and ten percent in return.

I sit in the warm embrace of my shed, Beast at my feet, and begin to think about ‘perspective’ and indeed how it changes as we discover more complete truths in life. Our viewpoint can only ever be from one place, and that place is the culmination of all our experience and learning, biases and wishes, and can never be definitive. We may express opinion, and that may be agreed to or rejected, right or wrong, but thinking that truth resonates completely within us, is a delusion. We may be an expert on a subject, have the best qualifications the world offers and still be ignorant, for there is no end to truth, and what we feel is finite is rarely so.

The more selfless the wisdom gleaned, the more free it is in truth and therefore compelling. When our opinions become driven by pride, the truths are often tainted and fall short of our own expectations. The old adage best describes it…’the more we learn, the more we realize how little we know.’ If we can accept truth, regardless of how that impacts on us personally, then it may resound within us, as if it were born there. And further, it may fly without our ego’s intention, as a separate entity, that can reside within us, yet not be colored by other intentions.

If we can nurture all knowledge with love and kindness and that intent guides the espousing of it in our daily process, then truth is untainted and in its freedom may find others that may adopt it. Kindness is one aspect of love that compels so much good fortune in life, if only people would recognize its potential to heal and transform. A gentle inquiry, a simple smile, a gesture of goodwill can change a person’s day completely and once effected can attract all manner of positivity to further improve a circumstance. These simple kindnesses seem to have been lost in daily life, everyone too busy to care and consider anybody else. Yet, if you take the time to give freely to strangers, it not only betters their day, but yours as well. Love and kindness promote themselves by the giving, and the results are often startling.

Introspection is a valid and important step forward to realizing one’s inner truths and also the biases and fears we hold subconsciously. When we investigate our responses and discover from where they have come, we begin to grasp who we are, how we react to the world, and if indeed we need to change to better ourselves and life. Our perspective then transforms becoming a more unencumbered view of reality, and not corrupted by past biases and learned behaviors that distort our viewpoint. Then our perspective becomes embraced by truth rather than what we want it to be, and revelation then grows as a seedling, to be nurtured for future clarity.

When our past behaviors and biases drive our lives without thought or consideration, delusion becomes our state of being, living life as if our false reality were true and accepting it completely. ‘Believing your own press’ is an apt statement, and so many people live by choice in delusions that supports beliefs about themselves and their past. There is no convincing these people, as their delusion is truth as far as they are concerned. What they don’t see is the game they themselves propagate to hold onto past like a security blanket.

What says wisdom more than the revelation of not knowing, for learning will not ensue without it,
and arrogance our most brash ignorance. The more we learn, the more we understand how little we know, and pride a steed that rears up in striking show, but carries us to no destination.

The wise learn that silence is potential, not lost in a myriad of conflict and bias, and without recognition of itself, the wise simply allow life to fall where it may, in observance. Humility is wisdom’s plinth, a foundation to learn without the stain of design, only to glean reality’s disciplines without the ideals of ego’s assumptions. Wisdom cannot recognize itself, for that infers attainment, which proffers not in learning, as knowing is a consequence, not a definitive affirmation.

Tony DeLorger © 2017

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Tony DeLorger

Full time author, freelance writer, poet and blogger since 1999. Twenty one published works, past winner of 'Poet of the Year' on HubPages, 'Poem of the Year' on The Creative Exiles, writer for Allpoetry.com, Google+, tonydwtf.blogspot.com.au
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