Clear Vision

In the house of mind, we build our walls,
With windows framed by what we think we know.
These panes, though clear at first, soon fog with scrawls
Of bias, prejudice, and status quo.

Our assumptions, like stubborn grime, accrete
Upon the glass through which we view our days.
Each smudge, a thought we seldom think to meet
With scrutiny, thus clouding how we gaze.

We peer through filters formed in younger years,
Shaped by experience, culture, and belief.
These lenses tint our world, feed our fears,
And often lead to misplaced joy or grief.

But what if we could see with fresher eyes?
To scrub away the buildup of the past?
Might we then glimpse a world of new surprise,
Where light streams in, unhindered, unsurpassed?

Consider how a child sees the world,
With wonder, curiosity, and awe.
Before assumptions have been tightly curled
Around their mind, constricting what they saw.

So take a cloth of doubt, and gently wipe
The windows of perception in your mind.
Question the views you’ve long held as ripe,
And see what novel truths you might just find.

For every smear removed reveals a scene
That challenges the landscape you once knew.
Each assumption scrubbed makes vision keen,
Illuminating perspectives anew.

The task is not a simple one, it’s true,
To constantly reexamine our thought.
But in this mental cleaning, we pursue
A wisdom that can’t otherwise be bought.

Reflect on how you form your points of view,
The shortcuts and the judgments that you make.
Are they still serving you, these notions few,
Or do they now your growth and learning shake?

In conversations, listen with intent,
Not just to reply, but understand.
For in the words of others may be sent
A key to unlock views you never planned.

Read widely, deeply, cross the borders drawn
By comfort and familiarity.
For in the realm of thoughts not your own,
You’ll find the seeds of new clarity.

Travel not just in miles, but in mind,
Embrace the cultures different from your own.
In doing so, you’re sure to leave behind
Some assumptions that have overgrown.

Question your experts, heroes, and your guides,
For even they see through imperfect glass.
Truth often in the gray areas resides,
Not in extremes where certainty amasses.

And when you find your windows clear at last,
Don’t rest upon this temporary state.
For assumptions grow quickly, hard and fast,
To cloud your vision if you hesitate.

Make it a practice, daily if you can,
To scrub a little from your windowpane.
This habit, formed into a lifelong plan,
Will keep your outlook fresh as summer rain.

For as you clear the grime of rigid thought,
The light of truth will flood your inner space.
Illuminating corners long forgot,
And granting you new wisdom, wit, and grace.

Your windows on the world need not stay dim,
Obscured by years of unexamined views.
With effort and awareness, you can trim
The overgrowth and let in vibrant hues.

So take this challenge, scrub your windows clean,
And watch as new horizons come to light.
For in this act of making your mind keen,
You’ll gain a world more beautiful and bright.

Remember, as you gaze upon the earth,
That what you see is filtered through your mind.
By cleaning these assumptions since their birth,
A richer, truer world you’re sure to find.

Your assumptions are your windows, this is true,
But you control how clearly you can see.
So wipe them down, and let the light shine through,
And set your understanding truly free.