Is your circumstance clouding your vision?

Years ago, I read about an experiment concerning perception. There were two groups of people watching a baseball (or cricket, I can’t remember) match. Each group was supposed to observe and focus on different teams within the match. After the match during the Q&A session, each group was able to meticulously recall and explain in detail what each player from their teams did. However, miraculously both teams did not notice that there was a guy in a gorilla suit running amongst the players throughout the game.

About three months ago on a Saturday morning, a friend was exercising with me at Kiara Park. After experiencing the end of a 7-year relationship, I was thinking, “Sighh… look at all these happy couples. Everyone has someone to love; except me” *groan* *grumble*. It seemed that be it young or old, married or courting, everyone were walking in pairs that morning. Deep in thought for a couple of minutes, my friend suddenly spoke to me, “Juan… look at all these rich people. They drive expensive cars and wear expensive exercise gear… How do they do it? ”

This friend of mine was a hardworking lad and for many years, and has been trying very hard to make ends meet. The latest blow was when he became victim to corporate downsizing at the same time his mum was hospitalized for diabetes. With this, I refocused to my surroundings and looked at it through the eyes of my dear friend. Expensive BMWs and Mercedes parked by the roadside. There was this Jaguar parked there as well *hoot! hoot!*. Top-to-toe Elle and Adidas branded exercise gear. Gold watches on the wrist of a jogger. The jogger in front of us bragging, “Yesterday I bought my 4th condominium for investment.”

Heh… suddenly it was like my eyes were opened to a different dimension. Before that instant, these people could be riding on donkeys or wearing their birthday suits and I wouldn’t even bat an eyelid!! :P

I remembered the experiment which reinforcement a lesson in life. Do not let your current circumstance cloud and limit your vision. Take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Somehow, it made my own problems shrink a little…