On the website, http://www.thoughtco.com, the meaning of align is stated as an action and is defined as the following: “According to Goffman, an aligning action is something a person does to indicate that they agree with the existing definition of the situation. Simply put, it means going along with what is expected. A realigning action is something that is designed to challenge or change the definition of the situation.” In other words, when you realign something, then you begin to think about it in a different way. In essence, you have begun to change how you think.

In the terms of Senses, I am talking specifically about seeing, hearing, thinking, and speaking.

So, what does that mean that we need to realign the senses? Think about this for a minute… Too many times we: 1) hear but don’t listen, 2) watch but don’t see, 3) think but don’t understand, and 4) talk but don’t speak truths.

When we hear but don’t listen, we know that someone is speaking words but we may fail to take into account the feelings that are behind them. People are very complex and when we take the time to listen, then we may hear what that person is really going through in life. We can then better understand them and maybe give them a sounding board. It certainly doesn’t mean that we have to agree with what they say, but we can respect their right to say it. We can then stop our own selves from being reactionary and instead give compassion to someone who is hurting.

When we watch but don’t see, then we are only using our eyes and not our intellect to judge the situation. It’s difficult to be patient with other people especially when we are having our own trials in life. When we see what others are going through, then we may be better able to take a step back and view the situation in a different light or even look at our own situation and see it as not so bad. That has happened to me many times when I’m feeling sorry for myself then I will hear someone else’s story. It makes me realize that I need to just change my perception instead.

When we think but don’t understand, we aren’t fully discerning what may be going on in that person’s life. While it is hard to always agree with how some people deal with a situation, we also have to realize that life tends to be the best teacher. Actions have consequences and as we live our own life then we need to try and help to teach others about what we’ve learned. My best advice has come from others who have more experience than me. We also can’t “save” others from suffering consequences, but we can at least show them understanding from the lessons that they will be learning along the way. We can also let them know that they are not alone.

When we talk but don’t speak truths, we are showing others that we can’t be trusted. We are ruining our own credibility. The truth is sometimes difficult to hear or even to say, but we can’t change our own attitudes unless we are being honest with ourselves.

Change can only happen when we realize that there is a problem to be fixed. I like the idea of realigning my senses because it shows that I am trying to be a better version of myself. You can never go wrong with that.

So, what did I learn from this? I try to think about what I want to say before I speak. Does that always work? Nope. Sometimes, I go back and I think, “Gee, I should have said that differently.” or “I shouldn’t have said that at all!” We are human but the best part about being human? I have found that I always, always, always have the opportunity to improve myself but only if I am willing to do so. I am still a work in progress and I like that. It gives me hope and joy!

What can you gain from this? What do you want to gain? Is it more patience? More understanding of human nature? My hope would be that you can begin to understand that we all need to become better versions of ourselves even when we are on the right path already. We are all works in progress. Remember that you don’t stop learning and growing just because you are on the right path. You just keep right on getting better.