Years ago I knew someone who often asked, when an uncomfortable situation presented itself, “What’s the worst that can happen?” He prided himself on living by Murphy’s Law: If anything can go wrong, it will. One day he produced a product with a fatal flaw. So, each item was removed from the company’s inventory and had to be reproduced. Then he was removed from the project, rebuked for both his focus and attitude.
Yes, things in life go “wrong,” break, fail, or get messed up. Though as Master Teacher Emmet Fox explains, “Life is Consciousness,” and where we focus our attention and direct our attitude usually determines our destination. Or as many artists say: Perspective is everything.
So, rather than view life from an “Ain’t-it-awful?”/ “What’s-wrong-now?” perspective, we can change our thinking and ask other questions. Instead of wondering what could go “wrong,” we can instead focus on the possibilities and potential of divine outcome. This change in perspective also can prevent us from stalling on our life journey, if we’re willing to ask: “What’s the best that can happen?”
Viewing life from this vantage requires tremendous trust because we must continually draw on our inner faith and strength. In the process, we gain clarity about our own personal power and human will, noticing what we can change and what we cannot. We consider our priorities, watching for open doors and new opportunities. We use our contemplation, meditation, prayer, and reflection time to release fear and worry, and await divine direction with assurance and confidence.
This perspective also requires that we release our personal ideas about how everything “should” happen or work out. It means that we stop giving God directions about what we want and how life “should” be.
It also invites other questions, such as: “Am I willing to:
- Cooperate with God and concede my personal way for God’s way?”
- Remove my hands from the steering wheel of life and cease trying to control everything?”
- Live by God’s calendar rather than my own?”
- Accept that others have different opinions and perspectives from mine, and may never like me or agree with me?”
- Work through old anger, grief, pain, and resentment to heal myself and forgive the past?”
- Remember that someone who loves me now might change their mind or that they will die one day?”
- Withstand silence and be still long enough to truly listen so I know which divine directions are mine, not someone else’s?”
- Sit back and enjoy the scenery, laughter, hugs, love, joy, and delicacies which flow through life in so many ways?”
- Wonder, at least once daily, ‘What’s the best that can happen?’ and then do what is mine to do to let it?”
As we answer these questions, we discover a greater depth of faith. And when we direct it toward the best people, places, and things for our lives, life has a richer perspective, and we see the best happen.
© 2018 – Rev. Jennifer L. Sacks. All rights reserved.
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