Life is as you SEE it.

On By AndreiIn #personal, Discover, Inspire, life, Motivational, Postaday, Thoughts & Quotes

life

The way you see your life shapes your life.

How you define life determines your destiny. Your perspective will influence how you invest your time, spend your money, use your talents, and value your relationships.

Being a youth leader back in my college years and occasionally, these not so previous years of sharing God’s word to other people, I always do get the chance to ask this question: “How do you see your life?” Asking that, you will discover that there are as many different answers to that question as there are people. I’ve been told life is a circus, a minefield, a roller coaster, a puzzle, a symphony, a journey, and a dance. People have said, “Life is a carousel: Sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re down, and sometimes you just go round and round” or “life is a ten-speed bicycle with gears we never use” or, as I’ve also written in one of my posts here, “life is a game of cards: You have to play the hand you’re dealt.”

If I asked how you pictured life, what image would come to your mind? That image, if you will, is your life metaphor. It’s the view of life that you hold, consciously or unconsciously, in your mind. It’s your description of how life works and what you expect from it. People often express their life metaphor through clothes, jewelry, cars, hairstyles, bumper stickers, even tattoos.

Our unspoken life metaphor influences our life more than we realize. It determines our expectations, our values, our relationships, our goals, and our priorities. For instance, if you think that life is a party, your primary value in life will be having fun. If you see life as a race, you will value speed and will probably be in a hurry much of the time. If you view life as a marathon, you will value endurance. If you see life as a battle or a game, winning will be very important to you.

What is your view of life? If you got the time to reply, I’d be happy to read it in the comments below 🙂

As for me, life, basically and fundamentally, is as I see it, and I’ve dedicated large portions of this blog expressing my views about life (and living). Doors are open if you’d like a tour 😉

Photo credit: quotes4sharing.com

75 thoughts on “Life is as you SEE it.”

  4. mamaboss9091

    I feel like life can be like cooking…you have all these tools and ingredients to use but you pick which ones to use and therefore you pick what you make. We have tons of tools or opportunities that i persoanlly believe that God has made available to us but what we do with what we are given is up to us.

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    1. Hi Carolyn!
      I’m happy to hear (read ☺) your views about life. Life can be delectably enjoying and worthwhile if we can wisely pick the right ingredients to use. Yet as they say, try as we must, life will still be life – full of surprise ingredients thrown here and there (like in the tv show Cutthroat Kitchen). But if we’ll just beleive in our ‘skills’ we can still come out with a great dish.
      You’re right, God has readily provided us with all the right ingredients and tools which we could use to our advantage. All we have to do is to be decerningly wise enough in our execution.
      Thank you for taking time to read and comment on this post. Appreciate it.
      See you around.
      Andrei

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  5. I have seen my life the way I wanted to see it and that’s awesomely described by you in the post!!!
    Back in 2015 when I was in my graduation me and my friend actually saw the dream about making our life together and successful and I see it completing this year!! Thank you so much for providing something alike,
    👍🏻 http://lifebeyondbeliefs.com these are my thoughts on life please give a view point on this link!!!

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    1. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and your inspiring love story Kumud.
      Continue sharing inspiration to others. I’m glad this post somehow resonates with your experiences.
      See you around.

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  6. A very true sentiment and philosophy. Life is what we make it. A reflection of ourselves per say. Life hols many things, experiences, people, etc. and each day holds positives and negatives. As to which one of the two we focus on, well that is our choice. I think the saying if you say you can, you’re right and if you say you can’t, you’re right. I feel this saying fits what you stated above. Also the quote you have talking about seeing thing the way they but seeing the, the way we are can have another perspective. Not per say “seeing” with our physical eyes but with our spiritual eye. I think there is a major difference. When truly seeing, it goes beyond just the outside appearance, whether it be of ourselves, others, places, things or life in general. Instead looking at a much deeper perspective that can be blinded by physical sight. I think you are right that our views of the world and ourselves effects our time, relationships, money, etc. but one that you missed was our mental state. That too gets very strong effected. Agreed with the metaphors of life, one in particular that life can be like a Roller Coaster. One which once we are on it and it starts to move, we really can’t get off. In the end we might find it fun, or maybe a experience we learned from ( like realizing spinning ones get us nauseous). But it’s a choice to view that ride as negative or positive no matter what the ending outcome. But no matter which metaphor is used all do have a similar basic concept which is that life is a risk, a choice to enjoy, and always consistently changing with only the unexpected knocking at our door. In all metaphors whether cards, carousels, roller coaster etc. they can all be an adventure, a fun that we fall and fail multiple times but which those falls and fails teach us to successfully fly. But then again lol that is a metaphor too lol thanks for the inspiring post. I think it a good reminder we all can keep in mind

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    1. Hi M.C.,

      That was a very elaborate comment you got there. Thank you for sharing your perspective and for further stressing the views presented 😊
      I’m glad that we both share the same opinion about life and that whatever its outcome or the scenarios it present us on a daily basis (good or bad), at the end of the day, how we define Life still depends on the how we ‘chose’ to look at it – positively or negatively. And how we view life’s concept (in our state of mind through our set of preconceived notions or personal philosophies or ideologies) is what defines our personal view about Life itself.
      Most people (especially nowadays) do not anymore (or have lost interest to) delve deeper into themselves to ask about Life or about the deeper meaning and purpose of it. That’s why (I think) one way of determining someone’s perspective or “definition” of Life, if you will, is by looking into his expressions about life or the term I used in this post – “life’s metaphors”.
      As you implied, life is full of trivialities (like a Rollercoaster ride) challenging and fearful to some, enjoyable to others, but one thing is certainly clear – during the ride it is always our choice to remain fearful or enjoy the ride (or from enjoying it to being terrified by it) because as you’ve said, when the ride starts spinning, it keeps going, and there’s no way of stopping it. And in truth, Life stops for nobody.
      I’m happy to have somehow inspired you on this subject. Pleasure hearing your views ☺
      Thank you for dropping by M.C. Hope to see you around next time.

      All the best to M.C. infinite.

      Andrei

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  7. Life is what we make out of it… all feelings combined can give no meaning until we feel it… we need to recognise what we want and sometimes it takes a lifetime… its not just living its living it spontaneously…

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    1. I absolutely agree with you that life is what we make of it. It depends on us to give meaning and purpose to it.
      Though life is always full of surprises, one key of truly living fully is to go with the ebb and flow of life, understanding its unpredictability yet having that firm resolve to LIVE life no matter what.
      Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Glad to see you around ☺

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  9. mehak_thakur

    This post depicts the truth of life everyone should be aware of ..
    According to me our life is based on our own perceptions and our own imaginations 🙂 🙂

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      1. mehak_thakur

        Yes sir I am really influenced by your way of thinking and looking things in a new way ..
        I am new to this field please do follow my blog and guide me..

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  12. I don´t believe in pre-determined purposes in life: I think we are born only conditioned by our genes and social sorroudings but not with any special purpose, so for me life itself doesn´t have any meaning unless it´s linked with personal development, so the meaning of life is to improve yourself and learn by questioning everything you´re told.
    As for a metaphor image, I would consider lif to be a board where an artist paints, feeling each brushstroke and enjoying the journey.

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    1. Thank you for sharing your view about life Ezequiel. I likewise believe in developing one’s self for personal gains as well as for better co-existence with humanity. And, truly, life must be enjoyed in all ways possible.
      All the best!

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  13. Finding the positives in all situations is how I like to view life. Sometimes it’s hard to find that beauty, but it’s there! I wrote about that the other week as a matter of fact! Such a good thing to keep top of mind. I like your perspective.

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  14. I see life as a blank canvass. I feel that we are the creators of our own realities, and that the blank canvass can be used to create all sorts of beautiful landscapes, or happy portraits, or it can be used to create wastelands and morbidly depressed people. Its really up to us. I’m not artistic, but I love the metaphor, and feel that writing is a great way for me to create, and hopefully make more of a shift in the real world towards what I aim for in my writing. Great post and thanks for sharing Andrei!

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    1. Thank you for sharing your life’s metaphor Sherif. I do agree that we (primarily) are the creators of our own realities.
      Use your words to express your opinions into the world. Wish you and your blog all the best! I’m grateful for the visit 🙂

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  15. rockbottomofthings

    I pictured a woody cliff-side with a dog by my side. I probably need to get away from the city. I have even been thinking about it for some time now. Thanks for making me realize life is actually very simple if we could see it.

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    1. Wow. That’s something.
      Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I really appreciate it ☺
      I agree with your purpose, life is truly meant to be lived in love. It’s truly refreshing and encouraging to hear it being expressed by other people. 💖👍
      All the best!

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    1. Thank you. I visited your blog and I find it really motivating. We do share similar opinions on some issues you’ve written about.
      You got a lovely blog going. Keep it up.
      All the best!

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    1. Thanks for such a lovely compliment Taj. I’m equally glad to have found your blog here 🙂
      Writing is truly a great avenue for us to make a difference in this world through our ideas.
      Let us never let the words fall short. So long as we have the heart to share, let us write some more. Our heart, put into our works, is what makes them come alive.
      All the best Taj! ♡
      See you around 🙂

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  22. This is a great post again. Sometimes, I too forget that the way I see things is just from my own perspective and may not be the same for others. To answer your question, life for me is loving. We sacrifice because of love, we become happy or sad because of love…we feel pain and anger and also great joy and fulfillment in love. When we love, we share a part of us. I think that’s what gives meaning to our existence. 😊

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    1. I love reading you speak of love Nina.
      I know it’s your desire to spread love to other people; your blog is evident of that.
      I’m convicted on how you manifest your faith in your life by loving. More so by your maturity about how you view life in general. The Bible says there are 3 noble virtues a person can acquire – faith, hope and love. But the greatest among the 3 is love. A life devoted to love and loving others is indeed a satisfying and fulfilling life 👍❤️😉

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  23. I took some time to think about your thoughtful post, Andrei! All I could picture was a beautiful place amidst the greenery and simplicity of nature’s bounty. For me life is simple with love and happiness and a healthy environment being the focal point of living. Being the reason for another person’s happiness will be the icing on the cake!

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    1. Amazing heart you’ve got Pranitha! As they say, the ‘best things’ there is are clothe with simplicity.
      In all honesty, your’s is one of the amazing definitions of life I’ve read, “For me life is simple with love and happiness and a healthy environment being the focal point of living. Being the reason for another person’s happiness will be the icing on the cake!” – The beauty of it lies in its downright simplicity and its intent to reach outward in service to others. Life is truly NOT intended to be lived only for one’s self but to be shared with others.
      Love your perspective, love your heart even more.
      Happy and thankful to have met here another great soul in your being, Pranitha.

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    1. Thank you for taking the time to read and for the wonderful comment Ali.
      You’re right, oftentimes we’re buried neck-deep about how society looks at things in life and the branding it imposes on such things, and in effect, we tend to forget the very basic truth about life itself and how it is so simple if you’ll just take the time to stop complicating it and consider things in a deeper way.
      Your life is defined by you and how you see it. Our respective perspective is what truly counts.
      Thank you for the encouragement, Ali. I’ll do my best to share my views and keep on writing.
      You too. Never grow tired of sharing your words to the world!

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  25. Beautiful post, sir. Life is indeed as you see it. Talking about my view about life…
    I am someone who believes, Life is a game of uncertainties. Anything can happen any time and any where, and you’d be prepared enough to face the bitter truth. Well, if I wanna compare life with other things, I can almost find million ways to do that. (Whoops! Just a hyperbole! ) But ya, life is indeed the way you see it.

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    1. Thank you for taking the time to express your view about life Nikesh. And I definitely agree with you that life is indeed a game of uncertainties. As they say “life is like a box of chocolates, you just don’t know what you’d gonna get”. However, that uncertainty is what gives life beauty and excitement, would you agree? 😉

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    1. Hi Karen!
      Thanks for taking the time to read. I’m happy and encouraged to hear that you’ve learned something from my post. It’s a fulfilling feeling to be appreciated by a fellow blogger ☺
      Thank you!

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    1. Nice to hear your thoughts about life Radhika. Savoring life every little step of the way huh? 😉 That’s nice!
      Thank you for taking the time to share your view. Thankful as always for your support 😊

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