As we collectively slog through this now four year economic downturn, I find I am endlessly seeking new sources of inspiration and optimism.
I’ve developed a new system, which I briefly touched upon my previous blog post:
I’ve got a little list.
I’ve basically made up a list of the most fun things I’ve ever done in my life. The list also includes my best friends, and it includes some of the most amazing things I’ve seen in my many travels.
I have discovered that the mind never sits still. It is is constantly churning and mulling over some level of positive or negative elements. I find I cannot be passive about this, as the default input of the newsmedia and crime dramas incessantly focuses on danger, mistrust, fear, and so on. There are endless numbers of little happenings throughout the day that, if one is disposed to be somewhat pessimistic, can lead one into a state of negative emotional energy. The simple lack of consideration of someone slamming a door late at night, an unexpected bill, someone cutting you off in traffic, these are all stimuli that can easily create a whole series of synaptic events that are largely negative in nature.
Many “success books” as well as books on happiness and spiritual fulfillment all basically talk about the same thing, of focusing the mind on positive energy. I have tried their approaches, but these systems have never really worked for me. It’s hard for me to get totally emotionally invested in some sort of chant or meditation, or perhaps some abstract thoughts of deities. I need something a little more tangible. Hence, this list.
The beauty of this list of wonderful things is, it is real. I have seen all these things, I have experienced them firsthand. It doesn’t require a whole lot of faith or belief to embrace this magnificently good feeling.
My own list includes seeing the sun set over Ipanema Beach, working with Henry Mancini, and so on. I also try to take a moment to just appreciate the fact that I possess pretty good health. If you juxtapose that idea with someone who does not possess it, the simple fact of being free of pain or illness is a wonderful thing to contemplate.
It takes a fair amount of mental energy to make myself do this, but whenever anything happens that even slightly drives me towards a negative thought, I focus on this list. So far, the results have been extraordinary.
© Justin Locke
