A very good magic trick plays with how we perceive reality and we are willing participants as the magician takes us on a ride.
Similarly, comedic TV sitcoms portray how perception creates drama that is entertaining. The writer weaves characters and story lines similar to a magician. An entire show is often created around a character that perceives a situation one way, only to find out later that his perception is far removed from reality.
We have a good laugh because, after all, perception is reality, until it isn’t.
Haven’t we all done this before? We may think that our best friend is upset with us when they seem withdrawn and distracted, when they could be planning a big surprise party for us. We may even react irrationally based on misperceptions. While humorous for us as entertainment, in our relationships and in life these interactions can often times create unnecessary friction.
Our perceptions drive our decision making process that can have effects permeating our entire life from work to the environment we live in to the relationships we hold.
It is one thing when are being entertained; it’s quite another when we are the entertainment. None of us would want that. If we want to succeed in all aspects of life and live well, it is important that we perceive life clearly.
Collins Key, from America’s Got Talent, a rising “pop star of magic,” recently had a conversation with Sadhguru. Watch the video below to find out what happens when Collins Key, a magician, and Sadhguru, a mystic, sit together to talk about the difference between perception and reality.