Perception

The word perception comes from the Latin perceptio composed of the prefix per (completely) the verb capere (capture) and the suffix tio (tion, action and effect). In other words, it is "The action and effect of completely capturing things."

Perception is the process by which the mind converts sensory stimuli that receives through the senses in a conscious awareness of the environment. Without wishing to do so, we associate with these perceptions information that we have previously stored in our brain, information resulting from other perceptions earlier in time. That's why our perceptions are always interpretations. We do not see we interpret. We perceive the world primarily unconsciously and that perception is conditioned by many aspects, such as family history, education we have received or experiences that we have accumulated throughout our lives. All this information is stored in our unconscious. The prejudices that shape our interpretations decree our experiences, making us believe that what we perceive is the only reality.
The key to modifying our perception is in the emotions. It is not what happens to us, but the way we perceive "that" what happens to us. that determines our emotional reaction.

Practical example

Perception is one of the intellectual faculties and like everything it has two polarities, positive and negative. The way we use our perception is determined by our unconscious and this means that we are on automatic pilot most of our life, we act as if by habit without requiring any conscious thought.
For example, when something happens to us we have the possibility of seeing that situation as something "good or bad" although in truth that situation is neither "good nor bad", it only IS, our conditioning is which decides to see it in one way or another. When we are faced with a situation that we consider as something "bad" we could form the habit of using the law of polarity and looking for the "good" side, it may seem difficult but it is always there, many times it is very hidden and we must strive to find it.
Dr. Maltz, the author of Psychocybernetics says that it takes approximately 21 days to consciously modify a habit, during that period it is necessary to be very focused and use each situation as a training ground for the search of that positive side.

When you feel uncomfortable stop for a moment and analyze your perception.
• Stop positioning yourself.
• Stop making judgments.
• Stop justifying yourself by talking about others.