Perceptions, Reality, and Future (VD 2)

Perception vs reality is a venerable versus. From prisoners in Plato’s cave mistaking shadows for reality, to studies about the unreliability of eyewitnesses, the difference between what is and what we perceive has been a problem for thousands of years. It has been debated for thousand of years. Let me give you all an analogy here: when it comes to eating and drinking, most of us generally assume that what we taste and smell is what’s there in the food. In fact it’s not. Fortunately, the categorical accuracy of what is or isn’t there is less important at the table than in the witness box. What actually matters at the table is perception. Perception is king when we are eating and enjoying ourselves. It is it’s own reality. Well, you do understand what I’m saying, don’t you guys?

Flavor is in the brain, not in the foods.

There’s a simple fact that underlies the general discrepancy between perception and reality. Why it is that we can’t trust our faculties of perception to give us a full and straightforward account of what’s around us. Our brains and our senses are selective about what they notice about reality. They are error-prone and each of us makes his or her own unconscious selections and errors. Each of us has perceptions that don’t necessarily correspond to someone else’s opinions. These days, neuroscientists are telling us that flavor is all in the brain. Flavor is a perception, an experiences that’s constructed in the brain. Food is made up of molecules, and molecules by themselves don’t have any sensory qualities. Our experiences of food is sensory. There’s taste and smell and pungency, texture and temperature. The chemical and physical materials that generate these sensations in us do not, by themselves, have any of those qualities.

So the quality of saltiness is something that is the result of sensors in our tongue telling our brain that there are sodium and chloride ions in whatever we just put in our mouth. Our brain turns that into a sensation of saltiness. Yes, chemically, the food has salt in it, but the taste and experience of salt is a construction of our brain and the sensors that feed into it.

To be honest, each of us has a different set of sensors and a different brain. This is just a matter of genetics. There are a half dozen taste receptors and a few hundred different smell receptors. Nobody gets a complete set yet, and everybody gets a different set. There can be a tenfold difference between one person and another in the number of taste buds in their tongues. And we all have different databases of experiences to which the brain is always referring to make sense of what’s going on in the moment.

Knowing a bit about the realities of flavor perception can help any of us get more out of our perceptions. Because flavor is an experience that formed and founded in the brain. If you’re aware of how your perception of flavor can be shaped by all these different factors, then your inner reality can be as rich and complicated as you want it to be. It’s up to you all to construct it.

People’s perception on me is that I’m a nice guy and always have a respectful personality. People’s perception on me is that they think I’m persistent, dedicated, a hard worker, and always have the never-say-die attitude. People labels me as The White Knight because they think I’m a good example of a role-model for people.

The reality is, I don’t think I’m not as good as people think I am because it’s not a secret that I’ve lost a lot in my career and I haven’t made any impact here in Wrestle World. Shouldn’t I win a match if I really have this never-say-die attitude in myself? Shouldn’t I make something for myself if I’m really a hard worker? The reality is, I really need to work hard even harder to be called those of things and I do want to redeem my career by winning this ladder match at Violent Delights.

The ladder match is getting closer to the five of us. The ladder match is going to exhausted all of us, both physically and mentally. We all gonna get hurt. The four of us will be dissapointed with the lost as only one of us will be walking out as the number one contender for the American Dream Championship. I really want to be the number one contender of the American Dream Champion and beat Claudia Michaels just like the rest of you. I’m ready to throw my career on the line. I’m ready for everything.

I try my best to live every day to the fullest so I don’t have anything to fix but the reality says the opposite. I need to do something about this and I don’t want to back down because it’s an unfinished business. I’ve tainted my own name for long enough in this sport and I’m doing nothing but bringing a shame to myself and the people who care about me. That’s why I have to climb to the top of the ladder as a first step to fix my wrestling career. That’s why I don’t want to complain. Every day think as you wake up, I’m fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I’m not going to waste it, not anymore. I’m going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart outs to others, to achieve all enlighten for the benefit of all beings. I’m going to benefit others as much as I can. That’s how I want to show my gratitude to those who keep believing in me.

Now I do think that it is too early to tell what we will become in the future, but the thing is we don’t know our future yet. All we can do right now is trying as hard as we can to make our dreams come true. I have a big dream to leave a mark in this sport but I don’t want to wait for it to happen. I want to make it happen. I want to make my own hope and this ladder match should be my first step to do so. I’m going to honor my Creator, not by passively waiting for Grace to come down from the upon high, but by doing what I can to make Grace right now, right down here on Earth or in our case, in the ring. You control your future, your destinity. What you think about comes about. By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in the motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be. Just put future in good hands: your own.

I’d like to use this opportunity to say thank you to you, Tristen Killebrew. Thank you for having a faith in me that I can bring my all even though you have defeated me once. I’m going to do all I can to answer your perception on me and make it a reality. You right, there are a lot of factors that are going to determinate who’s going to win this match. Talent is one of the few things that going to determinate who’s the victor of this match and you have it, Tristan. We know how great you are in the ring and I’ve experienced it myself. You also have heart, soul, and passion for this business. It always makes me happy to face off against someone that has such a big heart like you. It always make me want to find out who really wants it more. It’s always refreshing when I find someone who never gives up easily without needing a malicious intent like you.  That’s what makes me more determinate to win this match even more. You were, are, and will always be difficult to deal with though, Tristan. A guy like you knows how to make things work. A guy like you is unpredictable. Pretty sure I’ll learn a new trick or two from you in this match. Don’t ever lose that fire even if you lose in this match although you have a great chance to win this match. You also mentioned about how a luck can be a factor in this match too. Good lucks happens to people who work hard for it. Sometimes people just fall into the honey pot, but you’ve consistently strived to create whatever good fortune you can get it in your life. You deserved to be undefeated here and you deserve to challenge Claudia Michaels, but luck can also mean simply taking the advantage of a situations at the right moment. It is possible to make your luck by being always prepared. Now, I’m very prepared to win this match, Tristan. I really want to turn my fate around and I’m trying to make the most of it at Violent Delights.

Thank you for paying an attentions to my career, Reno Dumont. I didn’t know that you know my history with Hans Olsen. Now with all due to respect, I’m already out of Hans’ shadow. He may be an Olympic Gold Medalist but he still has zero titles in his pro wrestling career. I’m not the most decorated wrestler either, but at least I have won a few titles in my career and I’m trying to win one by beating you and other competitors in this Ladder match and challenging Claudia for The American Dream Championship. As I said, it’s not easy to do so, but anything and everything is possible in this sport. It’s both a perceptions and a reality. It’s a reality that you did wrestle a match with a broken neck and kept going until you won that match. Didn’t I say you are one of the guys who inspire me to be a wrestler, Reno? I know how tough you are and I know how much of a chances for you to win this match which is very high. You’re the real walking weapon after all, you should know how to win a ladder match with your experience and knowledge. But the thing is, I won’t let you or anyone else win this match easily. I know what this match has in store and I’m going to do whatever it takes to win it. I’m so glad that you don’t hate me and you see some potential in me. That’s very nice of you Reno, I really appreciate it. But this what makes me want to prove myself to you, Claudia, and everyone else in Wrestle World. While it’s just a perception, a lot of people, including you already acknowledge me as someone who’s dedicated to this business. Therefore, I know I already prove it to myself that I can be the next big thing here and this match is a good chance to show how serious I am to be a success.

I always try to appreciate anything and everything but honesty is something I really love to hear and I can’t thank you enough for being honest with me, Christopher Sabertooth. You actually already hit the nail on the head with everything you said about me, Chris. You seems have a mix feeling towards me though and I hate to say this, but it somewhat makes you contradicting yourself. You agree with me that I don’t deserve to be in this match and I’ve been a lackluster for years but you also said I can make you look good. How could I make you look good if I’ve been a lackluster, Chris? Just because I’m apparently popular and a Hollywood actor? You already look great, Chris. As I said, you’re a very accomplished wrestler and everyone know how great you are. You don’t need me to make you look good. In another hand, I need you to make me look good because it surely will be one of the biggest upsets in the history of wrestling if I beat you and everyone else in this ladder match at Violent Delights. It’s hard to do so though. You have a great momentum in your hands right now and I’m sure you want to use it to win this match. You have every tools to challenge Claudia and there’s no doubt in my mind, you’d be able to beat her if you win this match. I’m truly happy myself though that you agree with most people that I have the fire and will in myself. If that’s really your perception on me, then I’ll do all I can to make it into a reality. I know that I lack of a killer instinct but at least I still can try to increase the chances of winning this match by showing you how much I want to win this match. I need to win this match to be an inspirations to the people that nothing is impossible in this world as long as you try your best. I appreciate it that you see me as someone who’s persistent and if you do see me as such kind of a guy, then you already know I’m more than willing to show it to you and everyone else. No need to apologize if you beat me up, because I have nothing against you. I don’t have any bad blood with you and everyone, therefore, just act natural, Chris. You can get the attentions of Hollywood because you do have the looks after all, but most importantly, you have the wrestling ability and there’s no doubt in my mind, you’ll make some waves in this match as usual, Chris. This is for the first time that we’ll meet up officially in a ring, therefore, no need to hold yourself back.

I don’t know what you’re up to, Jordan Rattler, but I surely know that you’re preparing yourself for this match very seriously. Maybe that’s why you haven’t talked at all. I’m going to say, I know this match means a lot to you, just like it means a lot to me. You won the ladder match at Chapter 3 and it’s a reality that you’re a great ladder wrestler. You actually deserved to challenge Claudia right away but unfortunately it wasn’t the case. As much as I respect you though and as much as I understand that you must be upset for what Claudia did to you, I won’t let my personal feelings on you get the best of me. I feel so sorry for you but I can’t help but wanting to win this match myself. It’s a natural feeling that people want to win matches. Tristan, Reno, and Chris were complaining to Claudia about this match. It almost looked like they weren’t happy about this match. Maybe they are but after listening to them, I know how serious they are to win this match and that’s why I don’t want to back down from you as well, Jordan. You’re a great wrestler after all, so I know you’ll do something in this match and possibility win this match. I know what you’re capable off but I’ll make sure to be the best man in this match. I know you can understand what I feel, Jordan.

I keep looking to the future and I know it’s always have countless possible scenarios. I’m surely the weaklings of this match but even so, it doesn’t bug me a bit. What bugging me is that I haven’t met up people’s expectations on me. I’m upset I haven’t been able to turn their dreams to a reality, that’s why I don’t want to back down from this match. If everyone think I’m truly having this Never-Say-Die attitude then I’ll make it to a reality. I’m going to do all I can to win this match and challenge Claudia for The American Dream Championship and beat her. I can dream but I also can turn it into a reality. It’s never too late.