“To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith no explanation is possible.” – Thomas Aquinas
This week I had an amazing experience outside of the District Office in Culver City. I had successfully completed most of my duties for the day and had a hunch to stop by the office to check-in before heading home. On my way over I was feeling tired from the day’s activity and decided to take a minute to get centered before going in. I had some inspirational material and read a few paragraphs in my car. Then I got out of the car and sat on the curb to watch a few minutes of an inspiring video on Youtube. As I sat, intending to lift my mood, someone approached me.
What first appeared to be a stranger looking for directions, turned out to be Artist Krista Machovina, a fan of the podcast I co-host each week, Funniest Thing! with Darrell and Ed. Machovina recognized me from the promotional material and had sent us an inspired letter over a year ago. I told her about my reason for sitting there at that moment and we both lit up. Machovina, who lives in Echo Park, just happened to be in town with a colleague who had just delivered a talk at the Culver City Elk’s Lodge. The two had randomly stopped to get some ice cream and the only parking available was across the street from the District Office.
It is these small miracles that I rely on to give me an inspired lift as I move through my day. It is my experience that they always show up, in the least expected ways, when I am doing my best to follow my heart, and follow through with the life I have chosen to live. The fact that a fan of our podcast, who I had never met before, happened to show up at the exact moment that I was intending to generate inspiration was remarkable. Needless to say, I walked into the office rejuvenated and full of life.
It is easy to get in the habit of being pessimistic. If we are not paying attention we can fall into the trap of expecting the worst, and getting it. The world is full of stories that can lead us down the road of despair and overwhelm. I frequently meet students who are stuck in that very rut. When I talk to them, no matter what solutions I offer, they are likely to end our conversational with a statement such as, “Knowing me, this will never get better.” The good news is that our attitude is something we really do have control over.
I speak from experience in this area. I used to derive some form of satisfaction from being right about how bad things are. Inside I felt hopeless and believed that positive thinking was delusional in the world that we live. Along my path, working with children, and working with myself, I have learned that the opposite is true. There is always an abundance of good going on around me, and there is always much to be grateful for. It is my job to find those things when my mind gets derailed by fear and doubt.
The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. When I focus my mind in the direction of the positive, experiences like the one I mentioned at the beginning of this article come along and refresh my faith in life. The best part is that we get to choose to be receptive to these moments of grace in our lives. Had I ignored the way I was feeling or ignored my hunch to go the district office, I would have missed out on a chance encounter that turned my whole day around. I could have commiserated with others about how worn out and tired I was feeling from my day of teaching, and would have found many who would agree with me and feel sympathy. Instead, I was blessed with an unexpected experience that left me feeling great.
Think about parts of your own life in which you have been expecting the worst, or doubting that anything good is possible. Even if you are skeptical, try shifting your mind into appreciation for all the good that is going on. Read something inspiring, watch a funny video, take your dog for a walk. Raymond Charles Barker recommends saying aloud and with conviction, “I have decided to be happy.” I actually used that suggestion outside the District Office, and it worked. Give it a try, if only for 5 minutes, and see what happens. You might stumble upon a better than expected outcome.
Edward Biagiotti is the Inclusion Specialist for Culver City Unified School District. He is also co-host of the popular radio show, Funniest Thing! with Darrell and Ed, to find out more go to www.DarrellandEd.com. Visit www.TappingIntoGenius.com for more articles and a free, inspirational parenting download.
