Feelings Are not Facts

by Amy Adamson
View the authors Profile

Having been coaching for a while now, it’s incredible to witness and hear a multitude of people’s thinking, their beliefs, and their perceptions and interpretations of who they are and how they are reacting to the world around them. Rather, how they are reflecting onto the world around them. Most of us, including myself, get caught up in making meaning out of neutral events.

Recently, I read “The Untethered Soul,” and it served as a fantastic reminder that we are not our thoughts. It’s incredible the peace that comes when I manage to stay present, continuously reminding myself that my perception is just that—perception. There are infinite interpretations I could choose to apply to what is essentially a neutral circumstance.

The entirety of the world and all its happenings are just that—happenings. They hold no inherent meaning until we attribute meaning to them. Realising this brings a profound sense of relief, ownership, and accountability. It reminds me that I have the power to craft my own reality.

It’s enlightening to recognise that we are continually writing the story of our lives, and if the narrative we’re reflecting back onto the world is limiting, or hindering our progress, we have the ability to reframe it into something more empowering.

For instance, let’s say someone suggests starting a new business. Initially, the mind may flood with doubts: “Others have done it before. What if I fail? How will I find the time?” But here’s the thing—our thoughts shape our reality. We could choose to believe the exact opposite: “I am unique. There’s no one in competition with me because there’s only one me. I am my own competition.” How we perceive things profoundly impacts our life’s outcomes. And the beauty is, we have a choice in how we perceive things.

When we believe something to be an absolute fact, it’s an opportunity to become aware of it, to analyse it, and to decide whether it truly serves us. After all, there are infinite truths to be discovered.

"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are" Anais Nin