A Yearly Phenomenon

Have you noticed how one’s perception of things changes around this time of the year? I have lived in the UAE for around 30 years and this strange phenomenon occurs without fail. When I return from a trip to UK or a holiday abroad, I see my life and circumstances in a completely different light.

It seems that distance has a lot to do with it. Getting on that airplane and flying for 7 hours is a powerful catalyst for change. As we find ourselves soaring into the air, we metaphorically begin to see life from a higher or bigger perspective. We move out of the detail and into the big picture.

On the outward journey I am usually excited and can’t wait to leave the heat of Dubai and move into the refreshing air of cooler climes. I seem to have more energy and I treat myself to long walks and visits to stately homes and ancient historical sites. I walk around lovingly preserved gardens and natural vegetation and I get this wonderful calm and peaceful feeling. This lasts for a few weeks and then a surfeit of sight seeing takes its toll and I can’t wait to get home. On the return journey I think about all the positive aspects of my life in Dubai. Minor irritations are replaced with major advantages and the holiday experience fades into the background, as I eagerly anticipate getting back into my old routine.

Opening the door of my apartment, I immediately notice that my normally bright and shiny lounge now looks dull and dusty. Somehow the layout of the furniture is wrong and I feel compelled to move chairs around and reorganize the place. Even my clothes look different. Those favourite outfits that I was quite content to wear all year suddenly appear faded and boring. The strange thing is that my friends can’t see what I am talking about. Everything in my flat looks the same to their eyes. So what has changed? Is it me or is it my perception of things that has altered?

In NLP we learn how we all have our own map of the world. This is coloured by our own personal filters, which in turn are determined by our experiences, family and social upbringing. In other words we all see things differently according to these unique influences. If I think of it in that way, my changed perception makes perfect sense. My trip out of the country naturally exposed me to new things, new people, new ideas, and a new environment. Suddenly my filter is automatically affected. It has been updated. That is why when I come back home my furniture looks quite different.

I am happy to accept this phenomenon because it is stimulating. I go out and buy new clothes or think about different ways of wearing the old ones. The process of moving things around, allows me to see things from another angle. I liken this to “spring cleaning” fever. It may not happen in springtime but the effect is the same. It is somehow rejuvenating and a necessary part of man’s healthy evolution. Those of us who recognize the signals and allow ourselves to be moved by these changes, begin the “new cycle of our life” with renewed energy and enthusiasm. Those who do not change remain stuck in their old ways and lack motivation to move forward.

NLP gives us powerful tools to alter our paradigms about each other. As we let go of old habits and perceptions, we grow in understanding and compassion, which in turn leads to more peace and happiness. In the same way that moving furniture around allowed me to see my surroundings with a new perspective, we can reposition our thoughts and perceptions to gain fresher insights and different outlooks on life. When we let go of the old we make room for new, more positive life scripts and this is when we really start to change for the better.

Janet Deeb
August 2010
Website: http://www.blazelightaround.co.uk