Chasing Rainbows!

Chasing Rainbows!

©Allen Merritt (2016)

I have seen rainbows in my life; many of them. I even remember a time where I witnessed a double rainbow. Boy was that exciting. It was while driving from Los Angeles to Phoenix as I was heading up out of the Palm Springs area.

Some rainbows are vivid and a few are effervescent and light, almost translucent. Rainbows always make my heart smile and fill me with a feeling of the presence of something omnipotent, God-like.

Rainbows take me back to childhood and Sunday school stories from the Bible such as Noah and the Arc. The rainbow signified a promise. I'm always reminded of promises and hope when a rainbow comes along following or during a storm. Herein lies the idea of living positively.

There are some interesting correlations I can conjure up when contemplating the rainbow(s), especially when it comes to positivity.

Remember the idea of a leprechaun finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Then there is the idea of embracing equality and diversity as symbolized by the rainbow flag. Both ideas seem focused on something good.

In recent years I made some life altering decisions for myself to break certain patterns so that I might improve my lot in life, enhance peace and seek out a calm and meaningful existence, if that can ever be achieved, which is an entirely different conversation.

What did I specifically change for myself? I decided I was no longer a hound dog and could not afford to chase people, places and things anymore. You see, to reach out and grab the positive side of life I needed to let go of the idea that I should or could make certain relationships happen. I think many people most likely have these moments. It's part of a learning and growing process.

One philosophy I have is that life should be a two-way street as opposed to one person doing all the work in any given situation. It does not matter the type of relationship, if all parties are not equally involved, then there isn't any relationship. Period. Thinking otherwise generally produces negative results. So stop working so hard, quit chasing those non-giving relationships and refrain from trying to make it happen. Consequently, making such a decision meant losing contact and letting go of a lot of people in my life. Now, if I choose or feel like I want to contact any party, I go ahead and do that, but not because I feel compelled to keep the relationship alive. It’s quite possible unconditional love flourishes with this commitment to not force or push anything or anyone.

I also think of chasing rainbows in reference to following and working towards goals and dreams. I had to reason through that area of my life as well. I am a hard worker and do not mind putting forth the effort, but the same new rules apply in this department as well. You see when you are working hard and making effort there ought to be a positive result of some kind at the end of the work day. So the people I work with have to follow through with their end of the bargain, too. For me, it's about not wasting anymore time.

Some things shouldn't require that much work from only one side of the fence, so to speak. That’s not to say working hard to push onward is never worth it. All I am saying is consider the overall objectives and potential results and make a decision on whether it really is worth it in any given situation.

No more chasing rainbows for the sake of chasing rainbows.

All of these thoughts, ideas and alterations lead back to positivity in action by making the most of what you can and with what you have and discarding those things that are not contributing back and providing no more than the essence of nothing in your day to day, not to mention your future.

These are my thoughts this week in thinking about rainbows.

Maybe we are the rich pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. We have to see our worth and let our essence be seen and voices heard. It's about making better and smarter choices.

With that in mind, if you are chasing rainbows or decide to anytime in the near future, I would encourage you to consider what it is you are really seeking and don't just lap up anything that comes along. Life will definitely be more enriched and positive as a result of thinking through everything.

Want to chase some rainbows? Make sure it’s the right kind of rainbow to chase.

Cheers!