The Reality Gap – This is the space between the actual reality of our lives, and the world of our desires.
On one side of the gap is our actual reality. This is the world we live in. This is the present moment and everything that is occurring or exists within it.
On the other side is our desires. This is the world as we want it to be. This is the way that we wish we saw ourselves. It’s the place we wish our career, family, finances, mindset, health, politics, etc., were to be.
In between our reality and our desires is the reality gap. This is the space that our anxiety and sadness lives. The larger the gap, the larger the emotional stress.
The more we fail to accept the world for what it is – the more we desire a world that doesn’t exist – the harder our real world is to live in.
Closing The Gap
So how do you bridge the gap? The key is to become aware of the present reality, and build acceptance for the world as it is.
Understand, you can work towards a better future. In this present reality, you can take actions that will impact your future in a positive way. But be certain that instead of living with desire, you act with intention.
I have a lot of stress when I feel as though my reality is not what it should be. This visualization of reality versus desires helps.
For sure! I find it’s good when I’m feeling stressed to question why. What part of your life is not where you think it should be? Where is the gap that is causing this feeling?
Agree with you and with the following by Edison:
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
We all need to do what we can with what we have. I’ve removed the “where you are” part from Roosevelt because I believe if opportunity for livelihood doesn’t exist where we are, we as citizens (or prospective citizens) need to seek it, wherever it may be, and wherever we need to go. Industries change, and we need to adapt.
Doing our own race and pacing ourselves accordingly is also crucial in this pursuit. We are all individuals with unique abilities, requirements, and desires. Society needs to treat us as such, but as individuals is first how we need to treat ourselves.
That’s a good message Edward. Empower yourself as an individual to be the person you want to be.