“We live in the world we create.” It’s a concept from many wisdom traditions that I’m fascinated by.
In a literal sense, we have created or built much of the physical, economic, political, and social systems we inhabit. We can collectively choose to change them. More personally, we create our own experience based on how we interpret what happens, what we focus on, and where we invest our energy and attention.
A metaphor I like for this is creating our own maps of the world. Throughout our lives, based on various factors, including our genes, upbringing, family, friends, community, experiences and more, we develop an understanding of ourselves and others—our figurative world maps. But these maps are our interpretations of the world, not direct representations of reality. We also develop tools—how we think, interpret, feel, emote, and behave that determine how we navigate our maps.
Often, our maps and tools serve us well. They allow us to survive, protect us, and lead to many of the successes we experience. These tools are practical adaptations to our circumstances and make sense when we understand them in context. At the same time, our maps and tools can become outdated or no longer serve us. We can update our maps and navigation tools through new insights, habits, and ways of being and doing.
By examining and refreshing our maps and tools, we can alter the world we create and therefore the world we live in. When see ourselves, others, and the world differently, we show up differently.