Have you ever taken the time to take the time to look at how you view and think of the world around you? Most of us take for granted that what we see is what is actually there. When you see something like a red ball then that red ball to you just that; a red ball. However, that same, exact red ball does not appear the same to all of us. A famous therapist once stated that each of us has a personal perception of that ball and that some of us see it as a really red ball while others will see it as a slightly tinged colored red ball. Even the size and shape of that same ball can appear differently to different people.

We all have perceptions of things that go on around us. That is something that we all share. These perceptions that we hold tell us what we think and feel about things. Just like in the case of the red ball, most things that we see, or perceive, appear differently to different people. How many of you have thought about why you think the way you do?

How many have questioned where these belief systems derive from? Or why they were derived at all? Most of us do not. Many of us look at the world through negative thinking processes that can cause us to develop feelings of depression, feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, anxiety, and other improper thought processes even when there really should not be any basis for them.

The role of a therapist, who specializes in psychology, is to determine why, how and where negative thought systems come into play. Why a person would perceive a normal occurrence in an aberrant way and then act according to their perception of that happening. It is for this reason that people seek cognitive therapy and other related neuro-linguistic programming. A therapist who offers this therapy is very effective at helping people recognize the thinking habits behind problems such as depression, anxiety, panic disorders, and phobias. There are many other cognitive techniques for challenging negative thinking patterns and developing new and more adaptive ways of thought.

They way you believe in things can change the course of your life. If you are anxiety-ridden over being near dogs, you may miss a chance to meet someone who owns dogs. If you are afraid to go outside because you were hurt when you were outside when you were a small child, you may miss the chance to get a good job, go to a great place or a myriad of other things. With age, a person's beliefs can become more flexible. It is when these belief systems stay rigid that a person runs into trouble. Therapists say that personal beliefs have a strong influence on your emotional state. How you behave and how you perceive things are affected by how your beliefs distort your view of your world.

Remember, every belief that you hold is basically a generalization that you have made about the world around you. Generalizations are distortions. It is usually clear that when a person presents a problem to a therapist, there is usually a distorted belief behind it. To give you an example: You say that you are worthless. This is a belief that you have come upon due to what has transpired in your life. This belief will then cause an outcome which is, in almost all cases, depression. As a therapist will tell you, what you think comes from what has happened in your life. What you think can and will color your entire world and change its outcome. Thoughts and beliefs about yourself and the world will change your world. We tend to focus on our thoughts and these thoughts are actually who we are.

Therefore, in actuality, we are focusing more on ourselves. If you focus on the fact that you are undesirable, no good, and you have a problem, you will, in effect, create more of that problem by unconsciously finding ways to continue to bring attention to it and act accordingly. With the support of a good therapist and therapy group, you can work to overcome these problems and get back to a healthy, productive life.