So...you ever get those days where everything seems to just go completely to shit at the drop of a hat? You know the ones. The days where no matter what you touch or put your mind to, it always ends up either falling apart in your hands or blowing up in your face. Funny thing is, for a lot of folks, that seems to be everyday life. It's the way they view the world and because of this, it's the way they expect it to be. More often than not, it's a case of mind over matter and their mind is primed for the worst of the worst, hence they get exactly what they're looking for. It's odd how life can often manifest particular aspects about something to allow us to cherry pick just the right ones to turn a situation into what we subconsciously might expect it to be. It allows us to look back on happy memories and pick up on one minor detail and before you know it, you've spin-doctored that memory right into one of the worst days of your life. And it didn't have to be that way, but like I've said before...perception is reality.

Me, I'm a good one for looking for the worst possible outcome. I'm a pessimist through and through, and each time I'm faced with something, I'm already bracing myself for the worst case scenario long before my brain has even registered that I could probably turn the situation in my favor with a little slick talking and a degree of luck. And given the circles I travel in, the gift of gab can go a long way in twisting a situation in favor of forcing an outcome. And yeah, I know there's some out there whispering that dirty little word that we all love so much..."manipulation". And you're right, it is manipulation. Manipulation of the moment, of the situation, even manipulation of the players involved. Change a person's perceptions, you change the person. Even if it's only for that one fleeting moment. That's Head-Games 101, people. Because while perception is reality, the perception in question can be tweaked ever so delicately, thus unbalancing the scales and changing the outcome just enough to plot an entire new life course from that exact moment. Think of it like a big game of Connect-By-Number. You know the order goes 1-2-3, but if that 3 suddenly starts looking more like a 6 or 7, you're going to stop and look for whatever looks like the next natural step to you. And that one alteration, no matter how small it might be, it can be the key to an entirely new picture once all the lines have been connected. And the picture you're looking at? All a figment of your imagination. A creation of your own percetion of reality. To some that might be a comfort, to others a curse. You pick your poison.

Seems like I spend a lot of time dwelling on this topic in my writings, but I'll admit that I'm fascinated by the way the human mind works sometimes. I get a kick out of watching all those little neutrons and electrons fire from behind the eyes of someone else. It amuses me, it gives me something to strive for, a challenge to rise to, so to speak. Does that mean I go around manipulating people left and right? Hell yes. But we all do...we simply call it by different names, that's all. To some, the phrase "Good morning" can brighten a person's day when spoken. But think about the times you've gone to work or gone shopping or even found yourself confronted by someone your brain has already designated as a "seedy character". Now this person gives you a bit of a hello in the form of a barely audible grunt or nod of the head and suddenly, you might find yourself saying hello right back, only in your sweetest, most polite voice. You can call it being polite or having manners or whatever politically correct terminology you'd like to use to make yourself feel better, but the correct answer is that it was an emotional response. Your mind is subconsciously looking for the best possible outcome, the end result that provides the most boons to your particular part of the equation. It's human nature, we all do that at one point or another. We just don't register it all the time. Now to that person, the possibilities are infinite as to why that response was given, but judging by the area I live in, it's probably because being nice may decrease your chances of suffering some form of bodily harm. Because you don't know what's going through the pther person's mind. It could be a postal-situation waiting to be tripped by something as small as a bout of rudeness from a complete stranger. But for the moment, the perception you both shared was that simple "Good morning" and you're on your own separate ways. The world keeps on spinning.

Sound a little extreme? Good, that's the way it needs to be, because extreme examples get people thinking. They get people's attention and while the majority of you out there will just skim over it and pay it no nevermind...someone out there will take it to heart. Even now as you read this, you'll begin to wonder if this whole blog was a poor attempt at a fun little mindfuck across the internet. Maybe it was. The question you need to answer is: How will this change your life from this moment? Maybe you'll shake it off and go back to something else, maybe you'll sit there in a few seconds of terror over the consequences...maybe you'll laugh and say to yourself "That Darwin is a funny son of a bitch..." it doesn't matter. Because every experience, every encounter, every little thing that comes into our lives no matter how small or seemingly insignificant causes immense changes in the spectrum of our lives. It changes how we look at the world, hence how we react to it and how we move from day to day to day. Think about this for a moment, how would you feel if you woke up one day and apples were suddenly blue? Seems like a funny thing, but that one change would get your brain going. It would make you curious as to what else is suddenly "different" in the world around you. Next thing you know, an average Thursday afternoon is suddenly a venture into a completely different world where apples are now blue and various other unknown changes may have occurred because of it. And yes, I did just try to link in the Butterfly Effect theory. Save the time and read the book. The movie was iffy at best.

Perception is reality, people. You wake up pissed off at the world, chances are you're going to have a crapular day to boot. It's just life obliging the reality your subconscious is trying to manifest. Kind of gives new meaning to the term "Manifest Destiny" doesn't it? Well, at least for the free thinkers it does, I suppose. And think about this folks, this entire blog entry? This is me at six in the morning on a pair of prescription sedatives and a painkiller. This is me fucked up. Ain't it cool? Makes me stop and wonder how the world is going to change for me tomorrow...maybe I'll win the lottery. Maybe I'll become King of Laserball. Maybe I'll dye my hair and call myself Jay Adams. You never know and yeah, that's the fun part of life. So think about that for a few seconds, because if you've made it this far, guess what: I've already manipulated your reality! It's done, finished, ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED, bitches! So sit back, relax and enjoy the view, because this reality is one I've just helped manipulate for you!