I’m noticing circumstances and events and activities showing up in my life that are reinforcing my desired state: Joy. I also notice than when I slip and complain about something– VOILA! something else (miraculously?) shows up for me to complain about… I guess for one who claims that anyone can experience miracles (even beginners) that may not sound extraordinary. OK.
But I have a friend that experiences less-than-wonderful results from time to time– in one area of their life– I have no knowledge of how they’re doing outside of this one area. But I thought it instructive, and worth sharing…
This person has a point of view– a personality... a unique way of being– as do we all, and there’s certainly nothing “wrong” with that. This person has been experiencing less-than-stellar results in their work… Oh, the results are acceptable.. there’s no immediate danger of losing their job.. and the situation– from the point of view of an outside observer- seems to reinforce the idea that less-than-stellar results are what one would realistically expect.. so there’s no one angry or upset with the results. But..
Here’s one of the things that’s going on that I find instructive (you may, too)… This person has a new toy – it’s a roughly 4 inch in diameter cartoon-type head, with a grimace / angry expression that, when thrown down with any force, says one of several phrases such as, “Who gives a (beep sound)” or “Oh, Kiss my (beep sound)” or other frankly negative phrases. Now understand– this “harmless” little toy is ‘cute’.. and even could be considered humorous. But the reality is that this little toy is programming the minds of all who hear it with a negative charge – which will have negative consequences (however trivial).
As Marci Shimoff noted in the movie, The Secret – the difference in people who are living in the “magic of life” and those who are struggling is that those living the wonderful lives have HABITUATED ways of being.
Through whatever means – be it their environment, self-study, meditative practice, or personal focus, desire, concentration and unrelenting effort; those who live in the “magic of life” and seem to be almost always happy have, in fact, somehow made it a Habit. It seems ‘effortless’ because (now) it is a habitual mind-set. My life is easy.
And just as sure as the fact that you no longer suck your thumb, YOU can modify ANY other destructive or harmful (or even socially questionable) behavior and replace negative thinking and subsequent results with “Right” thinking and subsequent results!
Point being: the person with the new toy is not helping themselves. While humor is ‘good’ (“Laughter doeth good like a medicine”) and without question helps - everyone enjoys and physically benefits from laughter; WHAT we laugh at also matters, because…
(you remember, don’t you?).. Everything Matters!
George had successful careers in the Ballroom Dance business (decades before "Dancing with the Stars"), Radio and commercial Voice Over work, and sales management. His latest book, "out of the blue, miracles for beginners" is available @ www.iwantmiracles.com.