Scribbled in an old notebook I was paging through, I found this piece of advice: “Maintain an openness to the possibility that things may work out just fine.”
Now I’m a fairly optimistic person. I tend to look for and find the good in almost every situation I encounter. But I must confess that I have a dark streak, too, that emerges when I contemplate the direction in which the world seems to be headed.
It’s hard to find much light out there. Civilization seems to be careening towards increasing anarchy, hostility and chaos. The globe itself, from all reports, is bathed in toxins and under assault from forces beyond our understanding or control.
Our knowledge may be increasing at an exponential rate, but our understanding and wisdom seem far from keeping pace.
So when I read that little suggestion to keep myself open to the possibility that things may work out just fine, it stopped me in my tracks. That light-filled possibility had slipped entirely from my view.
That little possibility packs a lot of positive motivation inside it. Call it faith. Call it hope. It can keep you going when the deck looks stacked, when the odds, and reason itself, seem to tell you there’s no way. It reminds you that wildly unreasonable things do happen—absolutely every single day.
Even for the ordinary challenges, it’s a good suggestion to carry in your back pocket. It’s one of those items, like spare keys or safety pins, that it’s handy always to have on hand.
Your boss comes down on you, you get stuck in traffic when you’re headed for a critical appointment, you forget your partner’s birthday, you leave the notes for your presentation behind.
When roadblocks appear, pull out that little reminder; slip it into your considerations: Be open to the possibility that things may work out just fine.
The possibility is there, whether you can see it or not. Keeping a window open for it gives you a shot at spotting it. It lets you keep an eye out for ideas.
When you’re grappling with personal challenges that seem insurmountable, remember that things could work out just fine. Instead of focusing on the problem, let yourself imagine what the solution might look like. Don’t worry how it could come about. Instead, focus on a vivid, detailed picture in your mind of a fine outcome being real.
That’s what the possibility of a good outcome does on a global scale, too. It keeps us looking for ideas, for that glimmer of light that shows the way around, or over, or through.
And isn’t it interesting, how we tend to find what we’re seeking only if we believe that an answer can be found.
Wishing you a week of openness to fine possibilities.
Warmly,
Susan