Seeing Things as They Are, NOT as We Are

Yesterday on Twitter, I was reading through tweets about Kenya's new cabinet, following the swearing-in of the recently appointed cabinet secretaries.
At some point, one tweet caught my attention. Someone was loudly wondering why women were put in the periphery when they took a joint photo (below) with the President. See more photos here.

My response to that tweet has inspired today's post.

Inasmuch as I stand to be corrected, I often see many responses to many of life's situations as merely a reflection of what we are, with very little said or done about the particular situation at hand.
In short, one person will purposely decide to fault-find and point out wrongs where none exist, while another will see the good in things and in people given the exact same situation.

It is the classic glass half-full vs half-empty situation.

Seeing things as we are can be dangerous. Following are two examples to support my assertion:

1) A Life was Lost

In the CSI season 1 episode 9 titled 'Unfriendly Skies,' a passenger was mistaken killed by fellow passengers when they mistook the manifestation of his ailment as an "annoying threat."

When the murder is eventually resolved, the CSI team discuss that particular case, placing themselves in the shoes of the affected passengers to find out if they'd have committed the murder or not, given the same circumstances. Eventually, Gil Grissom gives the following thought-provoking opinion:

Gil Grissom: It's not about that. You all have different opinions but you've taken the same point of view. You've put yourself in the shoes of the passengers, but nobody's put themselves in the shoes of the victim. That's the point.

Sara Sidle: I'm sorry. What are you saying?

Gil Grissom: Nobody stopped to ask Candlewell if he was all right. They just assumed, because he was kicking the back of Nate's seat, that he was a jerk - because he was pushing his call button that he was bothering the Flight Attendant - because he was trying to get into the lavatory he was making a scene - because he was going back and forth up and down the aisles, he was posing a threat.

Catherine Willows: He was a threat.

Gil Grissom: No. He turned into a threat. It didn't have to be that way. People make assumptions. That's the problem. You just did. And I think these passengers made the wrong assumption and now this guy's dead.

Warrick Brown: Well, if that's your stance how could it have been prevented?

Gil Grissom: If just one person had stopped and taken the time to look at the guy, to listen to him, to figure out what was wrong with him it might not have happened. It took five people to kill him. It would've only taken one person to save his life.

See the full quote here.

2) An election was Lost

When Mutahi Ngunyi posted his 'Tyranny of Numbers' hypothesis on YouTube, he was called names. Many condemned him as tribal and misinformed, and others dismissed him as a hired propaganda hand.
When the official election results were announced however, Mutahi was vindicated.



I have to admit that I try as much as I can to not discuss politics and soccer on this blog, their popularity notwithstanding.
The above hypothesis merits mention however. In the video above, please take note of the reminder that "we often see things as we are and not as they are."
That, my friends, is the core reason we invariably ignore advice, dismiss facts and arrogantly refuse to accept the existence of opinions that differ from our own.

Be Objective

How then, do we change our perceptions? How do we overcome the irrational and often unfounded bias that so often harms our relations with others who may not necessarily agree with us?
We need to be objective in life. We have to stop making assumptions, take time and realize that there is much good in people and in things, if only we can pause and see it amid all the distractions that blur our vision as we try to see what's good and right.

Have a great, open-minded and positive day.

Life after Pete

"The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit."

- Nelson Henderson.

Better and more frequent posts, thanks to you

I haven't posted on The Walkabout for a while. In fact, I at some point considered pulling down the entire blog and concentrating on other stuff such as writing books, my design business and farming related activities.
As I kept postponing the deletion of this blog, I realized that I often keep reading many of the posts I wrote back in the day. Some of these posts date back to as far as 2009, but their worth remains timeless and profound.

A case in point is this post about Gratitude, Generosity and Altruism, written back in July 2010. These are character traits that every person of goodwill can only aspire to. Admittedly, they remain ideals in my life, but I still try.

 
Anyways, I eventually decided NOT to shut down The Walkabout. It has insights that need not be obliterated, and my page views still show that people visit the blog every now and then from diverse locations across the world. The Walkabout should continue existing for reasons much bigger than myself.
All in all, posting will indeed continue on The Walkabout and with your support, we shall all continue to learn, share and grow on The Walkabout.

Beyond Pete

Lately, I have been thinking about what I'd love to outlive me.
Well, for many people, one's life is considered "not-wasted" when they leave offspring, regardless of what genetic maladies are propagated or how dysfunctional a family this might comprise. For others still, properties irrespective of how ill-gotten the wealth may have been, and political positions regardless of how bloody and damaging to others the rise to the top was... that is how badly modern society considers a "life well lived" to be.

For this reason, we praise rich criminals during their funerals, celebrate the misleading influence of powerful politicians and adore corrupt businessmen who routinely embezzle public funds.

I live on a small farm and right outside my house are about a dozen cypress trees which elicit everyone's admiration for the expensive, high quality timber they have. The trees were planted back in 1959 by my father and it is I, my siblings and my first cousins who are now using the timber to meet our construction needs.

Consequently, and in gratitude for these trees, I have been planting over a hundred trees on this farm, not with the intention of eventually benefiting from them, but those who come after me. Future generations should find some trees to use just as I have.

In remembrance

The above example of trees is quite literal, but I now extend my argument to an area that has more impact, with a far-reaching, enduring influence.

My life is greatly shaped by what I read. Reading what I consider valuable for going beyond mere entertainment leaves me better informed, as I benefit from other people's experiences, the writer's opinions and their now-shared knowledge which is published for posterity.

After I am gone, I don't want to be remembered for all the wealth I had, or the kids I might leave. I don't want mine to be a legacy of material things which will only benefit, maybe even damage a few. I want to leave a legacy of boundless influence that will continue to elicit debate, shape opinion and change perceptions. Something that will far outlive me and those around me, something that will continue to enlighten, entertain and edify for all time. I therefore purpose to hold open doors into a better life for others, and what better way than through my writing?

As a writer, it is my intention to leave a legacy of writing that adds value. Writing that makes you have an "AHA moment" or otherwise leaves you much better and edified than when you started.
The books 'Counting Down the Days' 'When the Deal is too Good...' and 'Meditations in an Emergency' will be globally available on Amazon soon. Afterwards, it is my stated objective to publish at least once every year, a book that explores the human condition.

In the meantime, we continue to share insight, inspiration and self discovery stories on The Walkabout.

Finally, someone has helpfully expounded our Nelson Henderson lead quote:

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit. Be a tree, give fruits, flowers, shade to others without expecting anything from others. Whatever you want from others first you have to give that to others. Whatever you give to others, you will be given in return. If you give love, respect to others then surely you will be given love and respect from others. Thats why we should learn to give good things to others.

Have a great day guys!

 

 

 

Posting Continues on The Walkabout

This is a quick update, regarding the future of The Walkabout.
The last post on this blog was in January 2013, and lack of posts since that day has in no way been an accident.

It so happens that I love blogging. This blog however, requires that the posts be well thought out, timely, and at least in my opinion, of value. In other words, I do not just post for the sake of having regular updates.

When I started posting on The Walkabout in 2009, I was driven by the need to share  my thoughts and experiences as I go about life's journey. This journey is inundated with insight, inspiration and self discovery.
For a journey that is yet to end, there is much to write about.

I have been fortunate to gain immensely from the writings of other people. Those written words which detail their thoughts and experiences, that outline their advice... those have in most instances shaped my opinion, changed my perspective in life, and have ultimately made me a much better person.

For that reason, it has always been my hope that posts on The Walkabout will be found worthwhile by my readers across the world. If even one post has a positive effect on s/he who reads it, then my work is done, and posting on The Walkabout is not in vain.

So much for this update, stand by for more regular posts on The Walkabout.
In the meantime, take a look at our Insight, Inspiration and Self Discovery archives.

Enjoy!