There is a popular quote by Dr. Wayne Dyer. The quote is, “if you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

Dyer has a great ability to provide a higher-level understanding of our internal selves. He also has a practicality that we may miss if we stop at a superficial understanding.

Visualize the Color Red

Years ago, someone said to me “close your eyes and picture the color red.” He said, “think of stop signs, tomatoes, blood, etc.”

After a few minutes of thinking of the color red he told me to open my eyes. Something pretty strange happened. Suddenly, all red objects in the room stood out at me.

I could see the red glow from the exit sign. I could see the red blouse of the woman at the table next to mine. I could see the red marker sitting in front of me.

In fact, it seemed like I couldn’t help but see those red objects. I never imagined the experience would be so intense and extreme. Objects I previously ignored became my focus.

Our Beliefs Bias Us

But it shows us how much of what we see and think about the world reflects our internal beliefs and thoughts. In essence, we color everything with our individual perspective.

While this is usually a good thing, it can still hurt us if we aren’t aware of this bias. These internal perspectives create mental models that mold our interaction with the world.

But most people never investigate their internal biases. Instead, they confirm their beliefs by looking for more of the color red. They are sensitive to certain types of information and oblivious to others.

Challenge Your Internal Bias

I never realized the extent of that in my own life until I read Dr. Dyer’s book, Change Your Thoughts Change Your Life. This is now my favorite book, but I started out struggling to agree with what he wrote. I found myself thinking, “I want to agree with him, but I don’t. I cannot even comprehend why he would say something so untrue.”

After a few chapters I decided to change how I read the book. Instead of reading it and judging it against my beliefs, I would read it as if it were completely true. I would assume that it is true and then try to look around and prove why it was true or untrue.

Something incredible started to happen. I started to see the world in a new light. I started to see flaws in my thinking. I became aware of mental models that I held. I came face-to-face with the realization that I was trying to prove myself right, not search for the truth.

This led to a completely different way of living. I started to challenge my own beliefs. I started to look for better examples and more proof. I started to realize that judging too quickly meant I was only trying to confirm my own biases.

It Doesn't Have to Steal Your Confidence

At first this realization was challenging and frightening. If I was wrong about core beliefs, what else was I wrong about? My confidence diminished.

Soon I realized that it didn’t surface insecurity, it was building my confidence. I was able to better understand the world around me. I was able to see myself in a new light. I was able to see when I was wrong and needed to change my opinion. I was also able to better understand other people.

See Others in a New Light

It is easy to empathize if you can understand someone’s perspective. It gives you the ability to see people in a much less judgmental way. Instead of judging them, you look and try to understand how they can feel that way.

As you do this, you will interact with them in a new manner. Less judgmental, you can start to put yourself in their shoes.

Remove the Filter

For me this proved the idea that if you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. It highlighted the fact that we filter the world around us subconsciously.

But if we become aware of this filter, we can learn to challenge it. This will help us improve instead of making excuses. It will help us understand those around us. It will help us see a clear version of ourselves.

With control over the filter, we can learn to improve. We cut out mental limitations, so we are free to explore, learn and grow.