Subjective Reality

[Adam Elkins]

I've recently discovered Subjective Reality.

I am autistic. Autism is essentially a communication disorder; it blocks the passage of information between my mind and the outside world. It also binds me to very regular, habitual behaviour and sets up barriers against things which are different or outside the norm.

Recently I started reading 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. The first two chapters discuss paradigms and principles. He discusses how our perceptions of reality can influence reality itself - the beginning of what Steve writes of as Subjective Reality (he even talks of looking at the lenses through which we view the world).

I then observed two instances of subjective reality. I immediately realised that whilst I blamed Autism for many of my struggles in life the problem was not my condition but the way I viewed it. It was my habits, barriers and routines that made my life so difficult, and whilst my condition is fixed, these can be changed.

The second instance was when watching Ahead of the Class, a dramatisation of the work of Marie Stubbs at St. George's School in West London (the one where Philip Lawrence was murdered). The teachers regard the children a out of control, dangerous 'scum'. Immediately Stubs began treating them better - as children who wanted to learn, grow and succeed - and they responded in kind.

Instead of trying to fight something I can't change, I can change the way I view it into something much more empowering. I may be a stubborn, bloody-minded stick-in-the-regolith at times but this also means I stick to my goals and keep on going no matter how long it takes. I may live my life by habit but this can mean getting up right away when the alarm clock goes off.... I may have barriers to overcome but this also means I have standards about things like safety, integrity and how I interact with other people that I will not compromise on.

I like this approach, it's very empowering, but how can I use it? What habits could I establish, what can I do to change?

[A GROWING MIND]

Originally Posted by Adam Elkins

I like this approach, it's very empowering, but how can I use it? What habits could I establish, what can I do to change?

It sounds to me like you already know how to use this. You need to stay positive and change the way you look at your condition. One of my high school teachers once told me "If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change". From my own personal experience it works very well. I have been fighting a severe case of anxiety for about 3 years now and its just recently I have changed the way I look at it. I am a bit more positive every day and my anxiety has gone down a little. The main habit you should establish is to look at your condition without negative thoughts. As far as what you can do to change... Just by knowing this you have already begun to. Good luck on your journey and keep us posted.