Our lives are filled with ‘wonderful’, but sadly many of us miss it. Happiness is not the end goal, but it is THE PATH filled with everyday choices.
We recently moved into a new home with many positive amenities, but lacking of many of my former comforts. As I unpacked boxes, searching for storage for my precious treasures, I battled with the outdated small cabinetry, longing for our newly remodeled spacious storage that I left behind. I searched for my normal view of the city lights out my southern exposure only to be greeted by disappointing landscaping.
I caught myself in that downward spiral of looking backwards of what I had left in the rear view mirror, looking for my comfort zone of what I had previously. I felt an emptiness of what was new and different.
It is a slippery slope of negativity that pulls us away from our positive journey. We easily slip from living an awe-filled life to surviving with an awful existence with life changing events, even with exciting planned changes such as a move.
Continuing with the unpacking process, I opened up the north door of the new house being struck by the awesome beauty of the majestic mountain of Squaw Peak right in my own back yard. Where did this come from? How did I miss this beauty?
I had been so caught up in my own feelings of what I didn’t have, that, I completely overlooked what I did have right in my own back yard. It was definitely the NEW WONDERFUL.
In the workshops I do there is a section on happiness that I quickly recalled an important example of this. The story tells about a 92 year old man, who recently lost his wife who had to be admitted to nursing home.
As the facility escort took the man’s arm leading him to his room, the elderly gentleman commented much he liked the room. The surprised assistant reminded him that he had not even seen the room as yet.
The wise old man responded, “That doesn’t have anything to do with it. Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time.”
“Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged…it’s how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it.”
Yes, we need to arrange our minds to look for the new wonderful, the happiness that is right there under our noses. Put on those rose tinted glasses, shift our minds into the happiness gear, and enjoy what we do have, what is right, and what does work.
Let’s open our eyes to our many blessings, focusing on the positive with grateful hearts in our NEW WONDERFUL.
Pleas take a minute to share a NEW WONDERFUL experience that you have had.
