Confession Tuesday: The "You Are What You Focus On" Edition (Make Your Own World: Rip Up Your "Reminder" Note Cards)

Dear Reader,

I confess sometimes I worry that world becomes what I chose to focus on.
Wait, I don't worry about this, but believe it's true.

I've been on Facebook a lot these last two weeks--asking for help in with author photos, getting book recommendations, and basically wasting time between a few projects and I'm doing (and procrastinating on).

I've started to notice things about people's posts--

When people make a judgment on something, whether it's republicans, democrats, mothers, artists, writers, rejections, famous poets, weather, you name it, and when they do, it's as if many times a small index card is created in their brain and they begin to see these things in the world.
 
Right now, it's what they are focusing on, and call it a self-fulfilling prophecy or choosing to wear whatever colored glasses we desire (rose-colored or blue), but I'm noticing how we create the world we live in.

Okay, right now, some of you are saying, "We do not create the world we live in, we merely live in a world and things are happening that I have no control over and this is just how the world is."

No, the world is how you perceive it.

We have more in common than we think.
~

My world is different than your world, even though we live on the same planet.

It doesn't mean my world is better or worse.  It doesn't mean your world is true or mine isn't (or vice versa), it only means we see the world through our own filters.  What I see as a black and white portrait is your colorful landscape through your eyes.  You're looking at bright green treetops above you, and I'm staring at the grey stone at my feet. It all depends what you're looking at.

I confess sometimes when I walk into my yard I only see blackberry bushes and weeds.

Does that mean there is not a beautiful rose bush blooming on the walkway?  Does that mean that my rocking and amazing huge kale plants (full of nourishment & well, a superfood!) doesn't exist?
No, what it means is that I'm seeing what's wrong with my backyard.  The beauty is still there.

Who's to say what's a weed and what's a wildflower?

~

Here's a beautiful news story I read this week:

Teens on Bike Chase Kidnapping Suspect, Save 5 Year Old Girl

One person's threat is another person's hero.

~

If I read another article about how this next generation of kids are lazy, entitled, and hooked their iPhones, I might just start believing it, or I might be sick, or I might just acknowledge that yes, sometimes kids are lazy and sometimes they are awesome.

As part as Generation X (aka the "Slacker" generation), I think my generation is doing pretty well, despite all the articles written about us twenty years ago (many using the terms: apathetic, hopeless, lazy...)

I choose to believe our next generations of kids are going to be amazing.
I choose to focus on the good that is happening in the world.

This is not say I don't see and acknowledge the "bad stuff" in the world. And this not to say that some days I don't wake up and think this world is a just a big cluster and maybe I should just go back to bed or scream my head off.

But most days, I choose to believe that most people are good and try my best to see that.

~

If the media were made of buttons...

I confess sometimes I don't even realize I've created an index card in my head:
"Reminder: Corporations are bad."  "Reminder: Republicans hate women."  "Reminder: __________ (fill in the blank...)  Wait, what? 

Sometimes it shakes me up to realize I have completely stereotyped an entire group of people or made such a huge judgment.  And guess what, I'll see this in my life.  I'll see the world (whether true, false, or something in between) reflected back at me.

It's that paragraph in Artist Way about yellow jeeps.  You never see yellow jeeps until someone points them out to you, then you see them everywhere.  Yellow jeeps are taking over the world! Everyone is buying a yellow jeep!  No, you are just tuned into them now.

I recently tuned into Mercedes SUVs, since all cars look alike to me, my husband pointed out the Mercedes SUV.  Now I see them everywhere.  I'm always behind a Mercedes SUV.  Did my community all upgrade to Mercedes SUVs?  No.  It's just what I'm tuned into.  

I guess what I'm saying is we're going to be tuned into something, so make sure you're on the right channel.

Make sure you've tuned yourself into art or poetry, love or beauty.  Make sure your channel is on the kindness station, where you see people doing small acts of kindness for each other and you do too.  Maybe you need some miracles or inspiration, tune into that channel; it's currently on 24/7 outside your front door.

I confess I'm writing about this because it's something I'm always trying to work on.

I confess I am working on seeing more miracles.

Amen.


~ Kells


  ~ Don't Miss a Post ~ Subscribe to Book of Kells by Email