Reality is what we perceive it to be. Where one person will see ugliness, another one will see beauty. Where one person will see a stumbling block, another one will see an opportunity.

Every once in awhile a new painting that could be one of the grandmaster's work is discovered. Curators, specialists and art connoisseur will spend months studying that painting to see if it is an original or not. A lot is at stake. If the painting is truly from one of the grandmasters, it's worth millions. If not, it's not worth the canvas that it was painted on.

What could make such a huge difference? It's the same painting. Even experts find it very difficult to tell the difference between an original and a fake. The difference is in the perception and nothing else. If Degas painted it, it's a work of art. If it's the work of a budding artist trying to make a fast buck, it's worthless.

The same rule that applies to art is also applied to most spheres in our lives. Perception is everything. If we see our job as important and meaningful, that's what it is. If we see that same job as being inconsequential and demeaning, that's also what it is.

The fact that perception is everything is not just another meaningless observation. It's a reality that can literally transform our life.

Ask yourself these questions, how do I see my life? how do I see those who are near me? how do I see my mission in life? how important am I?

Perception is everything. How you answer these questions will determine the quality of your life and the level of your happiness.

The most wonderful aspect of perception is the fact that we get to decide what things and situations mean for us. Perceptions are purely subjective. We get to decide. We get to decide and we get to live with the consequences of those decisions.

That is the magic of being humans. We have this magic wand at our disposal and with it, we get to determine what things mean to us. We see love and beauty all around us. And that's what we get. We see ugliness and despair, and that's we also get.

Don't be a fool. Don't let others decide for you. Stand up and chose. It's in your power. Don't let yourself be carried with the flow. Chose and decide. By doing so, you can literally transform your life from a boring and painful experience into a wonderful and exhilarating experience.

We get to choose, we get to decide...

Dr. Raymond Comeau aka Shamou http://www.shamoublog.com/forum/index.php is the Author of ShamouBlog and Administrator of Personal Development for Personal Success Forums.