Perception

per·cep·tion   
[per-sep-shuhn]
–noun
1. the act or faculty of apprehending by means of the senses or of the mind; cognition; understanding.
2. immediate or intuitive recognition or appreciation, as of moral, psychological, or aesthetic qualities; insight; intuition; discernment: an artist of rare perception.

In philosophy, psychology, and cognitive science, perception is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of sensory information. The word "perception" comes from the Latin words perceptio, percipio, and means "receiving, collecting, action of taking possession, apprehension with the mind or senses."

So this past week has been a blur of nothing and everything. I had the entire week off from school, and everyday but Friday off from work. So what did I do with my time you ask? Well I slept in everyday (though never later than 10am), I laid around, I watched tv, caught up on every blog that I like to read (heavenly), read, watched movies. All that sounds uneventful, and it was, and I LOVED every minute of it. On the other hand though, I did get a lot of things done as well. I cleaned my entire room, and bathroom spotless! I did laundry, cleaned out my closet and drawers, prepared my bookcase, bookbag, and such for school. So it was a lovely mix of productivity and nothingness. My sister and I have this saying that (we didn't make it up or anything but we like it) that only boring people get bored. I kept seeing all these people on facebook saying how stir crazy/bored they were and I just have to think that those same people just might be saying how busy and stressed they are at any given point in the next few months and was it REALLY all that bad to be forced to slow down and spend some time at home? I think not personally.

That leads me into what I have been having thoughts about this week. The idea of perception and our use/misuse of it. I thought about it in general terms first, because after sunday night into Monday, you looked outside and all you saw was white and it was beautiful. It looked like a winter wonderland...perfection! It wasn't until you went out in it and tried to walk somewhere that you realized that your perception was not accurate and the reality was that it was slippery and icy and it crunched in a weird way when you walked. In this case snow≠soft! So that is just a small example but a tangible one at that.

Another thing I was thinking about was the perceptions that people love to put out about themselves. Obviously not generally speaking, but individuals love to have people think the best of them. There is not anything inherently wrong with wanting other people to focus on the positive and by playing that up, but its when people get lost in their own perceptions of themselves. It's like you become what you are putting out about yourself. Fake it till you make it if you will. Except that I don't think that a lot of people make it. I tend to think that they get disillusioned with what they are perceiving themselves to be, and not what they actually are. Let me be honest here as well...I do it too. It would be a lie to say that I don't. I think that the possible difference is awareness and a deep seeded realization of who I am/am not, what I will/and will not ever be. I am broken, but whole, loved deeply, bought at a price, adopted, and free. I just wish everyone else knew those truths, and could rest in them. It changes everything. It would make such a difference in our perceptions of the world and our part in it. I think that is why I love counseling so much. You are able to sit and be present with another person, usually in their deepest pain (if you're any good lol). It's a powerful thing, that not too many get to experience. I'll take real talk with real people over perceptions and falsities any day!

Here's to the first week back in 5 weeks...I'm oddly happy about it. I am ready to get back to what I love, even with all it's rough parts. I'm ready to continue fulfilling my purpose and doing it with a grateful and overflowing heart.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8