Seeing Clearly: How the Right Mental Lens Can Change Everything
Ever had an eye test and realized you’ve been seeing the world wrong?
Maybe you thought your vision was fine—until you tried on the right prescription and suddenly, everything sharpened. The street signs, the details on leaves, the expressions on people’s faces… It was all there before, but you just weren’t seeing it clearly.
Now imagine that instead of eyesight, we’re talking about perception.
The way you see yourself, the way you interpret situations, the emotions that color your experiences—these are all shaped by an invisible set of mental lenses. But here’s the catch: just like vision, if you’ve been looking through a distorted lens for long enough, you don’t even realize it’s there.
The Problem With Just Talking About Perception
Traditional talk therapy often involves exploring these mental lenses. You might discuss where they came from, why they exist, and how they affect your life. You might even get glimpses of a different way of seeing things—brief moments of clarity, like trying on a new prescription in the optometrist’s office.
But then you leave the session, and the new way of seeing things fades. You try to recall what it felt like, but much like squinting to remember a blurry sign, the shift doesn’t always stick.
What If You Could Change the Lens for Good?
This is where my approach differs. Rather than just examining the lens, we actually swap it out.
Through a process based on the science of memory reconsolidation, we don’t just talk about new perspectives—we make them feel real, solid, and natural. It’s not about forcing yourself to “think positively” or using willpower to override old beliefs. Instead, it’s about resetting the emotional weight behind past experiences so that when you look at life, you’re naturally seeing it through a clearer, more balanced lens.
Once that shift happens, it’s not something you have to remember—it’s something you take with you.
A Simple Way to Try This Yourself
If something is bothering you—maybe a situation that feels frustrating, unfair, or overwhelming—take a moment to write it down. Then, ask yourself:
What is one alternative way of seeing this? (If someone else were in my shoes, how might they interpret it?)
If I were feeling more confident/calm/optimistic, how might I view this differently?
What would I say to a friend if they were in my position?
By considering just a few different perspectives, you loosen the grip of the original lens. You start to see that what feels like reality is often just one possible way of looking at things.
This exercise can be a powerful first step in shifting perception. And if you want to go deeper—to actually reset the emotional patterns that keep pulling you back to the same old lenses—that’s where my approach comes in. Instead of just imagining new perspectives, we make them your new normal.
What Lens Are You Looking Through?
If you’ve ever felt stuck in a way of thinking—whether it’s self-doubt, anxiety, or a lingering emotional weight that won’t budge—it’s worth asking: Is it really the truth, or is it just the lens you’re looking through?
Because lenses can be changed. And once they are, everything looks different.
