Several years ago, I took a fall down the stairs and added insult to an injury that was already brewing with my back. Eventually, I found myself laid up for about 3 months in bed, unable to do much of anything except manage my pain. My siblings had to come in and care for my family and my home as I was stuck in my misery waiting for an impending surgery.
At the time, I was leading a company that did spa party events and one of the massage therapists that I worked with offered to do some bodywork for me. She came to my home and as she worked on my back, she began to pour her soothing energy and wisdom into me. Ultimately, she challenged me to pull out my journal and to write about all of the wonderful things that had come out of this trying and challenging experience. I thought she was nuts. The only thing I was consciously connected to was my physical and emotional pain. But I acquiesced.
Three pages later, I was stunned. Once I started to write, I realized that the situation had left me with so many gifts. I’d been able to immerse myself in books and resources that were opening my eyes to new possibilities, I’d grown closer to my husband, I’d learn to ask for and accept help. On and on the revelations went.
This experience was a pivotal one for me. It taught me that when things happen, there are an infinite number of possibilities before us in terms of what parts of the event we choose to focus on.
Over the next several weeks, I took a deep dive into my own self-healing — on every level you can imagine, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually and in due course, I was able to avoid surgery.
Now, this lesson has grown within me to the point where I am ridiculously intentional about what I choose to focus on. And I invite you to do the same.
There are always so many devastating things happening in the world and sometimes even within our own lives. Our charge is to look deeply within any situation that emerges and challenge ourselves to discover what is good. To discover what within it is beautiful and right.
And let me be clear. I fully understand that this will oftentimes feel impossible. The world is bent towards making us angry and afraid. Seemingly every headline is written to incite. So what to do?
Guard your mind. Protect your space.
I look at the world peripherally. I sense things happening and conversations brewing all around me about the latest tragedy. It’s impossible not to. But I have learned not to be a bucket for others to drop anything and everything they desire into me.
As a rule, I don’t watch the news. And I don’t get too caught up in focusing on the “isms” of this world. I trust that if there’s something for me to know, it’ll make its way on to my path. And then, I will focus on it in a way that allows me to remain in my “right” mind.
My belief? My day to day actions are not going to shift too dramatically based on the latest headlines. I know my mission and I am aware of my purpose, so at any given moment, I serve the world best by focusing on that.
Also, I realize that as I am immersed in my purpose driven work, I am much more effective in it when I am doing it from a feel good space.
You see, you serve by choosing to look at things that make you feel good, because when you feel good, this allows you to decorate your corner of the world more beautifully. More corners decorated more beautifully gives us more beautiful things to look at and ultimately leads to a stunningly attractive world.
Some will accuse you of burying your head in the sand. That’s okay. They are choosing to see what they’re choosing to see — in your story. What you will know is that what you are choosing to see is making you feel good, alive and whole. Rest in that. Vibe off of that. And know that the feel good space that you’re cultivating is doing wonders for all of us.
Monica Moody
Monica Moody
