How do you perceive life?

How do you perceive life?
By Pierre Ah-Fat, MBA, Transformation Coach

The story of the two frogs

Two frogs fell in a small well. They both started asking themselves what they should now do. One said: ‘Let us try to climb and get out of this well. We shall then be free to see the world.’ The other one responded: ‘What world do you want to discover? Can’t you see the sky from this well? I am fully satisfied with what I can see from where I am.’In fact both frogs could in fact see the sky, or rather part of it from where they were. Then there was enough water down there to survive for some time. However, one of the frogs decided that there was more to see than just that small part of the sky. It used its freedom to choose. After several attempts, it managed to climb on the wall of the well and jump out to set itself free. The other one remained behind and died inside the well. As you can see, nothing had changed for the well as well as the world outside. The change was in the perception of the frog that decided to free itself.

What is the message behind ?

What does this tale teach us? It’s all a matter of perception, of the way one sees things and life. Each of the two frogs had its respective view on the world outside. One thought that the world was limited to what it could see from the bottom of the well. The other one knew that the world was bigger than this. Both firmly believed their respective perception was the right one.

Many philosophers have written about perception and reality. It is said that we see the world not as it is but as we are. We see things the way we have been conditioned. Therefore, different persons may have different perceptions about the same thing. Perception like thoughts can change. Depending on our perception we may have adopted habits which we can also change for our own improvement and advancement in life. We only have to know what is doing us good.

The traveller does not choose to stay in when it rains. He opens his umbrella and pursues his pilgrimage. There is an old oriental saying which goes like this: ‘If we cannot avoid the night, we can at least reduce its darkness by lighting a lamp.’

There are certain things in life that we cannot change like events that have passed. However, we can change our way of looking at those past events. We have the freedom to make of our life a happy adventure on earth or a sad, miserable one. The right choice can help us move forward and build the world that we want around us. It is all in our mind and we are the ones to decide.

Thought to live by: ‘Everything is in the way you see things’. Epictetus (AD 55–AD 135).

(c) Pierre Ah-Fat