(In this episode, I said there are 8 million people on the planet.  I meant 8 billion :)  And, since I was curious I did a search.  It turns out there are just shy of 7.6 billion people on the planet.)

In the game of life, perception is everything. The way we perceive ourselves, others, and the world at large influences the experiences we create for ourselves.

Perception is the reason that despite living on the same planet, and for the most part, having access to the same opportunities and resources, we're all having vastly different experiences.

This is even more interesting given the fact that we live in the information age, where almost everyone has access to the same knowledge as everyone else.  Yet, still there is a large disparity in the experiences we're having.

What accounts for this difference?

Perception.

Before we dive into this topic, let's look at the definition of perception.

Perception is our ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses. Or, the way something is regarded, understood, or interpreted. (Source: Oxford)

When we examine the definition of perception it's easy to see why it's so powerful.  Perception is understanding.  And, understanding is everything.  Understanding influences everything we do, from the way we show up in the world to the things we think, say, and do.

Having a different understanding is a game-changer.

While there are a lot of things our perception affects, there is one thing that matters most.  When we focus on changing our perception of this one thing, everything else automatically changes.  This makes it really simple to bring about radical change in our lives.

What's the one thing?

Ourselves.

When we focus on changing the way we perceive ourselves, we're addressing the root cause of everything that happens to us.

At the end of the day, the only thing we really need to change to bring about radical changes in our experiences is our perception of ourselves.

When we change how we perceive ourselves, everything else changes.  We think differently.  We act differently.  And, we engage with life differently.

So, how do we do this?

Below I've broken the process into three steps.

How to change your perception

1 - Realize that it's possible

The first step in changing your perception of yourself is simply to realize that it can be changed.  We don't live in a fixed Universe.  Everything is changeable, and so are we.

It's common to fall into the trap of believing the lie that "I am is the way I am and there's no use trying to change".

Nothing can be further from the truth.

The way you are is the way you perceive yourself to be.  Changing the way you are is as simple as changing the way you perceive yourself.

Like a lot of things in life, it's easier said than done.  But it can be done.  I'll share my thoughts on this in step three.

But, the prerequisite for any personal transformation is simply to know that it is possible.  In fact, I believe it's one of the primary reasons we're here.

2 - Know how you want to be

Write down on paper all of the ways you want to perceive yourself differently.  To create your list, think of the experiences you want to have in life.

Then, reverse engineer those experiences to determine the qualities, characteristics, and attributes you need to perceive yourself as having, to put you in alignment with those experiences.

When we align ourselves with our goal, it becomes our reality.

Your list will probably evolve as your understanding and awareness evolves.

3 - Engage in daily practice

Use the list you've made as your guide to renew your mind every day.  Look at it and regard yourself in the ways you have written.  As with any personal transformation, frequency and consistency are important.

Think of yourself as flowing energy to the seeds of those qualities within yourself.  Where focus goes energy flows.