Quick Thought on Experiential Representaion

One's meanings will determine the nature of one's experience. It's a measure of control that we can exert upon our reality.

For example, right now I'm watching the 2008 UEFA Cup Final between Glasgow Rangers and Zenit St. Petersburg. There are many ways to view this object of experience. If I were a fan of one of the teams, then I would see it as a historical moment with special or personal significance. Or, if I knew nothing about football I might see it as having zero significance. As it stands, I'm experiencing it as this: a major moment in the European season, the final of one of the biggest club tournaments in the world. I'm finding it interesting from a neutral point of view as a football fan, and having grown up with so many other sports, from a more generalized perspective which attaches beauty to sport itself.

Who I am plays a large part in this process - my past experiences, my knowledge, etc. But I do have a choice in this matter, to a certain degree. I have a choice in the emotions that I'll attach to this experience. And this will depend upon who I NOW choose to be, the meaning which I want to realize in my current reality. 

In this match, I want to experience these meanings:

Beauty - This was Realized in the crowd excitement and match magnitude.

Striving - This was definitely Realized. It was a very hard fought match.

The trick in life is to use only VALUABLE MEANINGS. How hard is this? Very hard. It's only possible through the personal evaluation of meanings throughout your life. You have to be constantly determining whether a meaning has any real use for you in your future. How do you do this? Well, first you have to figure out what kind of future you want.