Mistakes or Possibilities

Mistakes or Possibilities

©Allen Merritt (2016)

Maintaining a healthy and positive attitude is sometimes easier said than done, no doubt. For me, I have had a rough month of challenges. As a result of those challenges, my faith and belief in myself, my talents and my life were greatly tested. Since I am a person who has a educational background in psychology and an interest in human behavior and how to rise up out of the depths of it all, I allowed myself that time to feel some of what it was I was feeling. I believe we have to do that from time to time. By doing so we realize out human fallibility, our pain and just where our emotional bloodstream takes us.

With that in mind, I had to fly to another city and had more than enough time to think, meditate and sit in prayerful consideration of my personal experiences. Many times, talking it out with myself and the universe does wonders, especially when you have the time and take the time to do it. For me, I felt much better feeling what I was going to feel and then letting it go so I could wake up the next day and continue the journey of moving forward.

After landing and making it to my destination, I got to work at allowing my creative self the chance to get to work while I had some free time before the real work started. This always makes me happy. It also proves as an example of how resilience comes alive and bounces us back instead of smothering us in the pits of despair.

Following my creative afternoon I was thoroughly exercised, tired and famished. I went searching for some place to dine. I stumbled past a entryway and heard a lot of chatter and realized it was a restaurant. I peeked in and liked what I saw, so I decided to make this my stop. It was an amazing choice. It was more expensive than I would have wanted, but worth it none-the-less. All over the walls were interesting statements made popular by recognizable names. I enjoyed reading them. A couple brought me to writing today’s blog and sharing my personal experience.  One statement read, “I believe in an open mind, but not so open your brains fall out.” I had to laugh inside over that one, but I found it full of truth. There have been a time or two where I felt like asking someone why they were letting their intelligence fly right out the window. This statement makes me see the importance of keeping a presence of mind while being open-minded. We still have to allow ourselves to BE, to ask questions, to formulate thoughts, feelings and opinions based on thorough analysis and consideration. It means to be ourselves why allowing others to be themselves while simultaneously knowing the difference between what is obviously right and wrong; truly a lesson in ethics and virtues.

Another statement which brought it all home for me was, “San Francisco is 49 miles filled with 49 million possibilities.” This comment suggests the importance of outlook. Instead of thinking of everything as a success or a failure, right or wrong, perfection or mistake, we think of everything we do as a healthy possibility; a chance…not a mistake.  If most everything we do in life is has a possibility of a positive outcome, than most things are not a mistake just because they did not produce successful outcomes based on societal norms. Getting through the day and having the opportunity to do it all again the next day is in itself a culmination of everything we did the previous day. And that is a positivity. Tons of possibilities lead us to a healthier positive well being, if we let them.

So my challenge to you this week is to think of everything you do as a possibility.

By doing so, anything is possible with time and effort.

More importantly, it helps us be more resilience in the face of trials and challenges.

This is what I mean when I say go out there and live life on a positive note.

Cheers!