A gentle invitation to examine the filters we didn’t know we were wearing

Last week, we asked one of the oldest human questions:
What is the meaning of life?
This week, we explore something quieter… but just as important:
What’s shaping how you see life in the first place?

Because our experience of life isn’t just about what’s happening, it’s about how we’re perceiving what’s happening. And that perception is never neutral.

The Filters We Don’t See

We all wear lenses.

Not the kind we slip onto our eyes, but the kind that settles into our worldview, often without our permission. They’re shaped by:

  • Early life experiences
  • Cultural conditioning
  • Family belief systems
  • Religious, political, and societal frameworks
  • Past trauma and emotional memory
  • Digital algorithms and echo chambers

They influence what we pay attention to and what we unconsciously filter out.

They shape what we see in ourselves, in others, and in what we believe is possible.

And because these filters are often invisible, we don’t question them.
We just call them truth.

A Simple Analogy: Dirty Glasses

Imagine someone who’s worn the same glasses for years.

Over time, the lenses collect smudges. Scratches. Dust.
But because they’ve adjusted, they don’t notice the fog anymore.

Until, one day, they clean the lenses, or take them off altogether,
And suddenly, the world looks different.

Clearer. Sharper. More vivid.

The world didn’t change.
The lens did.

What If We Could Do That Internally?

What if we could pause, take off our internal lenses, and examine them?

  • Who taught me to see life this way?
  • What beliefs have I inherited, and do they still serve me?
  • Is this thought mine, or just something I absorbed and assumed was true?
  • What happens when I question it gently, without force or fear?

This isn’t about blame. It’s about clarity. Not about throwing out everything we’ve learned, but consciously choosing what we keep.

Because awareness is the first step in creating a new kind of freedom.

A Reflective Practice: Spotting Your Filters

Choose a situation in your life that’s bringing up emotion or tension.

Now, take a few deep breaths, soften your focus, and gently ask yourself:

  • What story am I telling myself about this?
  • What belief is sitting behind that story?
  • When might I have first picked up that belief?
  • Has it always felt true — or just familiar?
  • How might someone else view this differently?

You don’t need to change anything right now. Just notice and stay curious. That alone is a powerful first step.

A Quiet Conclusion

We may not be able to control what happens in life, but we can become more aware of how we see it.

And sometimes, the most profound shift isn’t in the world outside us, but in the lens we’re viewing it through.