Are you a fan of #magic tricks? Were you in awe as a child while watching a magician pull a rabbit out of the hat? So many children feel exhilarated when the seemingly unthinkable happens before their very eyes. There’s a child within all of us as adults that still enjoys being thrilled and delighted with magic.
As adults, however, it’s not so joyful when illusion impacts your personal and professional lives. Has anyone ever convinced you of a reality that seemed to be too good to be true? In your optimism, you may have bought into the story someone was spinning. It feels like quite a betrayal when the truth is revealed, especially if you’ve based life decisions on that tall tale. We see this happening in many aspects of life. Some people are experts at making the unreal seem plausible.
It’s an interesting and eye-opening #perspective when the veil of illusion is lifted, and the truth becomes more evident. It can be disappointing and dashing at first, and that makes sense. If you bought into the smoke-and-mirrors narrative, you may feel duped and foolish. You might also reassess the integrity of the person or people who conveyed the embellishment or sometimes, outright lies.
We see this phenomenon happening in relationships, workplace, finances, health remedies, and more. Remember Bernie Madoff? He was so charming and convincing that that many people invested millions with him, only to lose their entire life savings. Devastating!
As Don Miguel Ruiz suggests, it’s skillful to be open-minded but discerning. Trust your gut instinct. Ask more questions. Don’t take the glitz and glamour of what someone is presenting as truth immediately. Most of us have been deceived at some point in our lives, so there’s no shame if that’s happened to you. Make a commitment to yourself moving forward that you will be a good steward of your time, money, energy, resources and personhood.