If you’ve just undergone a very distressing experience, try switching your lens on the world.
Okay! Here’s a quickie Buddhist tale to confound and inspire!
One day a very wealthy man took his son on a trip to the country to live a few days on the farm with a very poor family.
His goal: Teach his son a lesson about what it means to be poor.
Upon their return, the father asked his son, “So, what did you learn about what it means to be poor?”
The son answered, “I learned that we have one dog. They have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden. They have a creek with no end. We have imported lanterns. They have an abundance of stars at night. We have a small piece of land to live on. They have fields that go beyond sight. We buy our food. They grow theirs. We have walls around our property. They have friends to protect them.”
The boy’s father was speechless.
“Yes, Dad,” said the son, “you showed me how poor WE truly are.”
The lesson to be learned: With an open mind— “NEW EYES”— you can create a NEW REALITY!
Bounce Back Assignment:
Today, stop reacting in the same old ways to whatever is getting you upset. Try viewing your life with “NEW EYES”!
Remember: We live in a world of 1,000,000 interpretations. Ask yourself: What else can this mean? What’s a positive gain in this pain? How can I grow from this? What’s something positive which can come from this in 1 month, 6 months, 9 months, 5 years! How am I a better/wiser person because of this? Who do I get to meet because of this?
Remember: There’s only one letter difference between CHANGE and CHANCE. Every CHANGE is a CHANCE to get something which is actually different/better. We cling to the familiar because it’s safe – but the only way to get something different/better is to leave the land of the familiar! Wishing you all happy traveling into the land of the unknown! xoxo Karen
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