Multiple Realities Exist: How Your Mind Shapes Your World
- rick
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
The Power of Perception: Beauty and Faults in the Same World
Have you ever noticed how two people can experience the same situation completely differently? One person sees beauty, while another finds flaws. As the saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder—and the reverse is just as true: a fault-finder will always find faults. Henry David Thoreau captured this perfectly when he wrote, “The fault-finder will find faults even in paradise”. This isn’t just a poetic observation; it’s proof that multiple realities exist, shaped by the lens of our minds. At Urban Roots, we believe that understanding this concept can transform your life, helping you move from fear to love and create a reality filled with abundance.
Two People, Two Realities: Gratitude vs. Anger
Imagine two people standing in the same circumstances: a sunny day, a stable job, a loving family. One feels grateful, soaking in the warmth of the sun and appreciating the support around them. The other is angry, focusing on a minor inconvenience—like a delayed email—and feeling that life is never enough. The external situation is identical, yet their internal realities are worlds apart. For the present, grateful person, everything is abundant; for the critic, nothing is ever sufficient. This difference boils down to a choice: love or fear. The grateful person chooses love—openness, appreciation, and presence—while the angry person chooses fear—lack, judgment, and dissatisfaction. If the same circumstances can lead to such divergent experiences, doesn’t that mean multiple realities coexist?
The Role of Presence: Choosing Love Over Fear
This choice between love and fear is at the heart of how we create our realities, and Buddhism’s second arrow parable illustrates this beautifully. The parable teaches that life’s challenges are like the first arrow—unavoidable, such as a delayed email. The second arrow, however, is the suffering we add through our reactions. One person might think, “The other person always tries to screw me over—I must retaliate”, creating a reality of anger and conflict. Another might think, “They must have been busy”, choosing understanding and preserving their peace. When I did shadow work, I realized presence holds everything I need. I might desire more money for hobbies, but fixating on that need pulls me out of presence and into fear. Choosing love—through presence—reveals a world of abundance, showing that multiple realities exist based on how we respond to life’s first arrows.
You Have Power Over Your Internal World
While you can’t always control external circumstances—like life’s beauty or challenges—you do have power over your internal world. The Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius said, “You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realise this, and you will find strength”. This wisdom is timeless: your thoughts, emotions, and choices are yours to shape. The second arrow parable reinforces this: by choosing not to retaliate over a delayed email, you avoid self-inflicted suffering, creating a reality of calm instead of conflict.
If one person can feel grateful and another angry in the same situation, it’s clear that reality isn’t fixed—it’s subjective. By choosing gratitude, presence, and love, you create a reality where life feels abundant, even in tough times. What reality are you creating right now?
Shadow Work: A Tool to Shape Your Reality
At Urban Roots, we use shadow work to help you uncover the hidden beliefs and fears that shape your reality. Shadows—those suppressed parts of yourself, as Carl Jung described—often fuel fear-based perceptions, like self-doubt or a sense of lack. For example, I once felt a lingering unease, even after noticing positive things like singing birds, because a shadow was controlling my subconscious. It wasn’t until I confronted that shadow through journaling and self-love practices that I could fully choose presence over fear. Shadow work empowers you to rewrite your internal narrative, letting go of the fault-finder’s lens—or the urge to shoot that second arrow—and embracing a reality of gratitude and abundance. Multiple realities exist, and shadow work gives you the tools to choose the one you want to live in.
What Are You Creating Now?
The existence of multiple realities means you’re always creating your world, whether you realise it or not. Are you choosing love, presence, and gratitude, or are you letting fear and lack define your experience? The beauty of this truth is that you can shift your reality at any moment. Start by noticing the small joys around you—like the sound of birds or the warmth of the sun—and let them anchor you in presence. Then, dig deeper with shadow work to release the fears holding you back. As Marcus Aurelius reminds us, your power lies within. If you’re ready to create a reality of abundance and peace, download our free 7-Day Shadow Work Challenge today.
“You can do anything you want. This is your world.” Bob Ross
What are you creating now—fearful scarcity or loving abundance? The choice is yours.
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