“What we believe to be reality is only what the body gives us to see as conscious beings.”
– Physicist Federico Faggin
In yesterday’s Winning Strategies, we went on a deep dive into the nature of reality and how it relates to achieving what’s important in life and business. Understanding and exploring this within the Club is a fundamental part of how we improve our outcomes as well as the fulfilment we experience from the journey.
A common theme that is echoed through pioneers across many disciplines, including science, neuroscience, quantum physics, spirituality and psychology, is that the way we see reality is not how it actually is, we are translating it through our own filters.
In other words, our beliefs, past experiences, fears and expectations are shaping our perception of our experience of life and business in profound ways.
“We’re not seeing reality as it is. We’re interacting with a virtual reality headset.”
– Professor Donald Hoffman
For example, if we have previously had the experience, or know others who have, of being a business leader and returning from holidays expecting and experiencing a build-up of work, our minds will translate the situation to fit in with this belief and deliver the lived experience, unless we are aware of it and can make the changes in our perception and beliefs which support the possibility of an easier and more enjoyable return to work.
The learning and filters that we’ve inherited or accumulated through life may have been helpful at some point whilst we navigated a specific time, however, many may not now be helpful in terms of enabling us to have the experiences that we’d like to be having right now. In fact, whilst this layer of conditioning and habitual thinking remains uninspected, it is safe to say that we are living in an illusion which delivers sub-par results, and limits our inspiration, intuition and joy by our continued belief in it.
“Our conscious experience is not a perfect reflection of what is occurring, and is more a simulation produced subconsciously by the brain… akin to a computer desktop.”
– Dr Bernardo Kastrup
A fascinating thought which provides the antidote to this, is that the illusion is only perpetuated by our participation and reinforcement of it being real.
And this is where our true freedom lies..
The example above, regarding returning from holiday, can be applied to many other beliefs relating to business. EG my success is affected or dictated by market trends, consumer spending, government decisions, the economy, the time of year, the weather etc etc. When applying the principle, however, that it is ourselves who are keeping that experience alive, by accepting the beliefs as true and not inspecting or challenging them, we immediately have the opportunity to experience new possibilities, not influenced by the previously mentioned, mainstream supported views or beliefs
What follows the understanding that we are fundamentally involved in the way we experience our reality, is the appreciation of how important our ‘inner game’ is, in terms of improving the success and personal fulfilment we experience in any area.
Moving beyond our own illusions of limitation is the highest leverage point available to us in life, and definitely in business. This invariably leads to amazing outcomes, with less effort and more enjoyment.
If you resonated with The Matrix, it’s because it’s more than a film — it’s a metaphor. It’s a story about waking up from the illusions of limitation, and remembering what’s always been true.
Like Neo, we’ve all been offered a choice. Stay with the familiar, or question everything and remember who we truly are. This short video explains this quite succinctly.
