Every day I read a page of inspiration from a book titled A Year of Living Consciously. This is the second year in a row that I’ve tried to incorporate this book into my daily routine. I think I could do it for another ten years and not glean everything there is to glean from this little gem.
Today’s message was about moods and how they affect what we see. Pretend we own a beautiful home with a gorgeous lawn, all decked with flowers. When our mood is high and light, we see the land as beautiful, the flowers as pearls, the setting as glorious. But when our mood is low, we might see the land as a challenge, the flowers as a burden to weed, and the setting as a money pit. It all depends on where we are.
The message for today argues for consciously working at seeing the world in a mood that is high. The reality is the same regardless – the land is the land is the land, so to speak –but our perception of it colors our enjoyment, or lack of.
I totally subscribe to this theory. It’s probably best stated as the glass is half-empty or the glass is half full. And it applies to everything. And, since we really do have a choice about how to view things, what’s wrong with seeking a half full opinion? It serves our personal well-being better.
We had a drought this summer in southwestern Michigan. That’s a half-empty observation; we had no mosquitoes, that’s half full. We paid almost three dollars a gallon for gas; this is half-empty. We have learned to combine errands and spend more time doing relaxing things at home. Half full.
The reality of the weather situation is the same; so is the price of gas. It’s all in how we adjust.
Leave a Reply