What Do You Choose to See?

“Every person sees what he chooses to see.” – Rumi

This picture made me pause. Two men in the exact same prison cell, looking out of the exact same window. Yet what they choose to focus on creates two completely different worlds for them.

One sees only the bars, the restriction, the unfairness, the limitations. His painting reflects the darkness of what he feels trapped by.

The other sees the beauty that lies beyond the bars, the mountains, the trees, the colours of life. His painting is filled with hope and possibility.

Subhanallah, isn’t this such a reflection of our own lives? Many of us go through hardships, struggles, and pain that sometimes feel like a prison. And yes, the bars are real. The pain is real. But so is the beauty, the lessons, and the subtle mercies that Allah places in every situation.

Our beloved Prophet ﷺ said: “Amazing is the affair of the believer, for there is good for him in every matter.” (Muslim)

If something good happens, you are grateful, and that is good for you. If something difficult happens, you are patient, and that is also good for you.

We always have a choice: to stare at the bars until that is all we see, or to look beyond them and notice how Allah is still guiding us, still giving us, still loving us in ways we may overlook.

Life becomes the canvas of our perception. If we keep painting with gratitude, hope, and tawakkul, we will begin to see colours where others see only black lines.

Pause and ask yourself: Am I focusing only on the bars, or am I choosing to see the horizon beyond them?