037. Realistic

'Sometimes, it is not about becoming but, un-becoming all the things that do not fit or, were never meant for you'. 

An idea that has been playing around in my mind for a little while has been the finiteness of time, or rather, our presence. I am still trying to find the words to simply explain what I mean so, I guess to do so, I have to go through thousands of words and thoughts for me to be able to enunciate this idea simply. 

There are a lot of things I want to be, and a lot more that I have wanted to become. I am sure as young children, we all aspired to be so much more than we are now. Not to take away from the experience of our present realities but to say, the thoughts and ideas of what we could be were once limitless. Superstars, doctors, chefs, astronauts, magicians, there was nothing we could not be. Either our parents encouraged our hopes and dreams until it was time to be 'realistic' or, from the jump, they taught us to be 'realistic'. 

Realism - the practice of accepting the facts of life and dealing with them practically. 

Lately, I see people sharing posts that mirror the sentiment of 'the universe isn't on a budget so, ask for more'. However, I think for most of us, for much of our lives, we were taught to define our lives through a budget. Learning that there is only so much that can come of our lives because of the circumstances of our own lives or, of the world around us. Simply put, most of us wouldn't know where to start if we were to ask the universe for more; and dare we did, would we be capable of believing with enough force to will our requests into existence? 

Growing up, I remember being told that 'a picture tells a thousand words'. In literature, we were taught that words themselves, no matter how ordinary a sentence may seem, that too, told a thousand words. Through the experience of life, I have learnt that the words those pictures and sentence told, were more a reflection of the perspectives of the viewer, rather than the creator alone. 

Like our fingerprints, our perspectives of reality and the world around us are completely unique. In art, is often where this experience is most easily identifiable. Or perhaps, when you're having an argument with someone who clearly misremembers a moment you both shared. Our interpretations of any experience, carry that uniqueness. That is until, we learn about plausibility.

Realism, in the context of art, refers to the artistic, literary, and philosophical pursuit of portraying the world, objects, and people exactly as they exist in reality, without idealisation, romanticism, or distortion.

When both you and I cannot agree on a shared experience then, what does that mean of realism. What is then real if your truth and mine are not the same? How is your experience of reality without distortion or romanticism? 

The simple truth is, most of us are in dire need of an unlearning of what 'realistic' is.  

If someone chooses to believe that something is implausible due to the experience of life, then that is simply their thousand words. It is then up to you to decide if you choose to look at the picture and view is through their thousand words or, if you find your own interpretation of both the picture and their thousand words.

Sometime our dreams can be our greats limiting factor as they themselves are derived from our limited understanding of what we consider to be possible. What could happen if we let go of those limiting beliefs and redefined what could be possible. 

Every time you take pause to pick up your phone and attend to a notification, your attention and your time are take away from the activity you were previously doing. If the notification entices, you are the forced to fight to redraw your attention to the previous task because, the moment you pick up one, you let go of the other.  

Our attention and presence are finite, there simply is no such thing as unrealistic. It is either realistic or unrealistic. Both of which are choices you have the liberty to make.

I feel like I'm picking up on a theme here. I wonder how the rest of the week will shape out. However dear reader, we cannot be in two places at once (unless of course that is your real).

I have done my best today and I look forward to keeping up the energy of doing all I can tomorrow. I hope you are back here tomorrow to share in the journey. I cannot believe tomorrow is already the week’s halfway point, were does the time go?