"Your Perception Is Not Always Reality"

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🔎 Description:

In this episode of the Living Beyond Average podcast, we dismantle the comforting myth that “what you see is what you get.” Perception can feel like reality, but it’s often shaped by past experiences, unresolved trauma, and the lens through which we interpret the world. Host Lionel Murphy challenges listeners to question their assumptions, uncover hidden biases, and recognize how personal wounds can influence their perception of the truth.

Through engaging stories and leadership insights, this episode explores why leaders must cultivate self-awareness and emotional intelligence to avoid leading from a fractured perspective. Learn how to discern facts from feelings, break free from limiting narratives, and lead with clarity rather than confusion.

🎯 Key Takeaways:

• Why perception is not always reality — and how to know the difference.
• The Role of Trauma and Life Experience in Shaping Our Worldview.
• Practical tools for leaders to check their assumptions and seek objective truth.
• Reflection prompts to align your perceptions with reality and lead more effectively.

                                                                    📚 References & Supporting Sources:

Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. Bantam Books.

• Provides foundational concepts on self-awareness and how emotions shape perception.

Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

• Explores how cognitive biases and mental shortcuts can distort our interpretation of reality.

Siegel, D. J. (2010). Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation. Bantam Books.

• Connects emotional regulation with perception and leadership behavior.

Tversky, A., & Kahneman, D. (1974). Judgment under uncertainty: Heuristics and biases. Science, 185(4157), 1124–1131. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.185.4157.1124

• Classic research on how perceptions are influenced by mental shortcuts.

Creswell, J. D., & Lindsay, E. K. (2014). How does mindfulness training affect health? A mindfulness stress buffering account. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 23(6), 401–407. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721414547415

• Supports practical strategies like pausing and clarifying emotional responses.

Van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking.

• Explains how trauma can fracture perception, causing leaders to misread present situations.

Murphy, L. (2025). Experiential Leadership Theory: Leadership Development Through Horsemanship. BAE Publications.

• Introduces t

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🔎 About Living Beyond Average Podcast

Join host Lionel Murphy — veteran, rancher, leadership coach — as we challenge oversimplified clichés and simplify overcomplicated leadership and relationship myths. Weekly episodes blend lived experience, leadership insight, and biblical truth to help you lead with integrity, ride with confidence, and live beyond average.

✅ Leadership

✅ Emotional Intelligence

✅ Marriage & Relationships

✅ Personal Growth

✅ Veteran & PTSD Perspective

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📩 Contact: [email protected]

Disclaimer: Content is for informational purposes only. Not a substitute for professional counseling, therapy, or medical care.