Learning to change your perceptions

The way you behave, the way you decide and the way you act are largely based on your perceptions on the subject. Again your perceptions are based on your educational background, your assumptions, mental conditioning etc. These may be part of your conscious or subconscious mind and influence your decision making. To see an example, see your food habits, which are, what your country or community has given you. When you visit another country, you simply get uneasy with the food there whereas people in that country enjoy it. Is it not a matter of perceptions? If you can change your perceptions, the food there would no more appear strange and you would relish it. Similarly, in the matter of investments of one’s money, one goes for safety of the banks, the other for the stock market and yet another risk gambling. One believes in insurance but the other not. The point is, while learning to be joyful and happy, try to perceive your perceptions of situations or things and learn to change your assumptions, conditioning with happier ones.