Message 339

“Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open.”
JOHN BARRYMORE

I may have talked about this before but in reviewing the year, I ran across this concept again.

I hope that you copy this quote and put it somewhere that’s easily accessible. read it every day.

All too often we’re feeling despair when something isn’t going the way we want it to. We have blinders on and can’t see anything but the discouraging event and “possible” consequences. I put possible in quotes because they are really imagined consequences because they haven’t happened yet.

Because of the blinders, we don’t look around the room (at the rest of our life) to see the good things that are there right in front of us – if we took the blinders off.

Nothing is all bad.

Here’s what I could have focused on the race in Tennessee which ended up with a fractured clavicle:

I had to stop the race so I didn’t finish it.

I am a failure for not finishing.

I am too old or I wouldn’t have tripped on that asphalt lip.

I shouldn’t ever do any races again.

I had to give in and go to an ER (gasp).

I won’t going to be able to do anything with my right arm for at least 6 weeks.

I can’t continue writing my book or doing my podcast interviews.

And on and on.

So, what was hiding in the corners beyond where I could see if I kept the blinders on?

The love and concern other people showed me.

The true friendship of someone who gave up 3-4 days of his life to come drive me home.

The fun I had conquering doing everything with my left arm.

The rest I’m was going to get since I couldn’t do much else.

Enjoying watching the healing process which is fascinating.

Reading more since I had more time.

Those things that crept in through the door I left open far outweighed the “bad” things I could only see if I kept my blinders on. I’m sure you have similar examples in your life IF you’d simply look for the breadcrumbs leading to the door you left open.

Why don’t you try to follow the clues and let us know.