Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if we changed our perceptions of the world just a little bit – specifically, the commonly held perception that life equates to struggle. How many times have we heard or said things like “Life is tough,” or “You really have to fight to survive out there”? If we are honest about it, how many times do we expect the worst-case scenario, and yet fail to adequately prepare for it, as opposed to expecting the best, and diligently making sure that we’re prepared for the worst?
From my experience, it is a rare person who does not get out of bed some days feeling agitated and annoyed with the world or feeling that something bad is going to happen. For me, those are usually self-fulfilling prophecies. As soon as I pull out of the driveway, someone will cut in front of me. I arrive for an important interview and find that there is a run in my nylons. My credit card will somehow disappear from my wallet. On those days, I find out at work that I didn’t get the big account I had been working on, or that one of my co-workers has complained about me behind my back.
In contrast, on other days, I wake up well rested and with the invincible feeling that everything will go well for me today. I wait patiently for the driver in front of me to make his maneuver. I have a good laugh at myself for my absent-mindedness when things go wrong. I realize on those days that every failure is a learning experience, and every criticism helps me to become a better person. I certainly don’t take them to heart. Sure enough, on these days, I find that my soul becomes a sort of magnet to attract positive things my way. A project that had me completely stumped for weeks suddenly becomes crystal clear and falls into place. I take the time out for lunch with an old friend, and the laughter revitalizes me.
I wonder what would happen if we consciously decided to approach life from a wholly different angle. What it we decided, for a set period of perhaps a day or two, to assume that life is actually good? What if we truly believe in our hearts that everything that happens to us, including things such as losing a job or the end of a relationship, is for the best? What if we gave ourselves over to the radical idea that the forces controlling the universe are kind and loving, rather than wrathful and judgmental? Do you think that something terrible would befall us if we were to relinquish our cares and worries for a while? Or do you think that our everyday lives would be enhanced and enriched?
