I have an amazing life, but I often forget that. If you are reading this, you also have a wonderful life. Do you also forget sometimes? Do you catch yourself being down, angry, frustrated, depressed, fearful, or resentful? If so, it often starts resisting what is. If I feel like this moment needs to be better or different, I am resisting what is. If I feel like it is bad, I am resisting what is. The key is to accept what is. As Eckhart Tolle say, “Make friends with the present moment and see how your life magically transforms.” But how do you do that, especially if something bad has happened?
Here are three ways I was reflecting on this morning.
1) Look for what is good in this moment. What is wonderful just the way it is right now? Don’t like the election outcome, look for what is good about it. The market is up. It was clear quickly. You won’t be getting 1,000 campaign text messages a day.
2) If something bad has happened, immediately be grateful it is not worse. If you had a car crash with no injuries, be incredibly grateful that everyone is ok.
3) Accept this moment as if you had chosen it. This was really powerful for me. I love the story about Thomas Edison, when his entire lab, factory, and business were burning down, he ran to the site and was amazing by the beauty of the fire, with colored flames leaping stories high into the air. He not only accepted it, but he told his son, “Run get your mother and your friends. You will never see a fire like this again.” Even while he was loosing everything financially he enjoyed it as if he had chosen it. Afterward, he commented that this was just what he needed to start over. He started over and had double the revenue in the next 12 months than he had had in the previous. Of course he didn’t choose it, but he acted as if he had and that made all the difference.
I was running earlier this morning and feeling so-so, but when I stopped to look for what was good, I noticed the beauty of the patches of bright blue sky ahead that had been gray. I felt the strength in my legs and how good that felt and the beauty of the fall colors. Immediately my mood lifted. These things were there before, but I just hadn’t looked for them. When I am feeling challenged in my business, I will acknowledge that I have actually chosen this moment and that will give me agency and my mood will lift and I will take the needed action with positive energy, knowing I have chosen it.
What is not going well in your life right now? What is wrong or bad? Now think, what is good about it? How could it be worse? And be grateful it is not. Can you accept it as if you had chosen it? How does that change your outlook? What actions will you take from this perspective?
“The ‘good life’ begins when you stop wanting a better one.” – Nkosi Phambili E. Molapis
Have a accepting, grateful and therefore, happier weekend,
Art
#gratitude #acceptance #presentmoment #happiness
