Where You Lead You Will Follow
by Leslie Sann
Man is disturbed not by things, but by his opinion of things.
~ Epictetus
What might you say if I told you that nothing has meaning except the meaning we give to it? That we don’t really know how things are, we only know how we interpret them to be? That the outer world and all our relationships are reflections of our inner world in relationship with ourselves?
Hmmmm. Let’s play with this.
If this point of view is so, then we might wonder: Does the meaning that I attribute serve me, empower to action, nurture and support me? What possibilities does my interpretation open or close for me?
How are your interpretations affecting your experience of life? What meaning are you placing on events, situations or circumstances?
What if I were to give you a rose? Would you say, thank you for this stick with thorns on it? Would you interpret that I was attempting to injure you by giving you a dangerous weapon that can easily draw blood?
We can always find ample opportunity to prove that life is a garden of roses or a bed of thorns. How we feel about ourselves and our life is a result of where we place our focus and the interpretations of reality we create.
When you notice yourself feeling contracted, there is a good chance you have put a limiting interpretation on something in your life.
Begin to notice how you talk to yourself, notice where you place your focus.
Here are some of my favorite lousy-mood-creating questions:
- What’s wrong with me?
- Why can’t I do anything right?
- How come the other guy/gal has all the ____ (luck, money, dates) fill in the blank?
Now imagine instead, moving yourself to a state of wonder by asking questions such as:
- What can I learn from this?
- What is the value in this experience?
- How could I do it better next time?
- What am I grateful for in this situation?
- What is the blessing here?
- What else is possible?
- How does it get even better than this?
Which set of questions will motivate you to participate, enjoy, explore and wonder? If you’re like me, asking empowering questions moves you to take action and participate fully. Now isn’t that what it’s all about anyway?
You set the stage for your life’s direction. You plot your own course by your attitude, actions and interpretations. What if you lead the way with acceptance, curiosity, optimism and confidence?
Where you lead…you will follow.
Blessings and Joy,
P.S. from my friend Howard, “Better to be Upbeat than beat up.”
You are the one making the choice. A: Upbeat or B: Beat up.
Which do you choose?