That's Good

I've been listening to my SGR program while in the studio lately. I listen to one CD over and over again. For two main reasons: one, that way I don't have to change the CD and get it all dusty or scratched, and two, because I have only little speakers in the studio and I am chiseling and filing and have my exhaust fan running, I don't always hear everything on a conscious level. So I really hear something new every time I listen! Additionally, by listening over and over to the same lessons, it sinks into my subconscious and I absorb it rather than just "learn" it.

Yesterday I heard Jack Canfield relate the theory he learned from W. Clement Stone of "That's good". No matter what it is, say "that's good". Then, find the good in it.

This can be a challenge when we are faced with big issues. So start with the small stuff. Or not. Start wherever you find yourself. It is all good.

I decided to apply this to the big stuff in my life: life, death, disease. Not just from the intellectual standpoint of knowing that those who are no longer here physically are in a "better place", but how is that "good" for me? For those who have died, whether suddenly or through long illness, whether older or quite young, let me be reminded that they were a wonderful presence in my life. That is good. I can admire their best qualities and strive to be like them. That is good. I can live my life to its fullest now, because who knows how long we each have? That is good. And I can be true to myself, be the best me I can. And that is very, very good.

I don't know about you, but for me it has been easy to degrade myself. I easily saw the value in others, even if they didn't see it in themselves. But appreciating my skills, my uniqueness, has always been a challenge. Thank you to my many friends and loved ones, both present and past, who show me that being unique is a blessing and I celebrate all our quirks--theirs and mine. That is good.

One of the biggest lessons I am getting right now is that I am different from everyone else. And that is good. Wouldn't the world be a boring place if we were all the same? The fact that my sense of humor is different from yours is good. We may, or may not laugh at the same jokes, and that is okay, in fact, that is great! My goals may be different from yours. That is good. There is room for us all. All our different beliefs, dreams, wants, preferences. In fact, it is because we all have different beliefs, desires, and goals that there is room for us all! Otherwise we'd all be trying to exist on the same exact piece of land doing the exact same thing. That leads to competition. Instead, we can collaborate and have synergistic relationships where we each grow, learn, help and challenge one another. In this way, we can all become better individuals and better as societies and as a race.

The world is a wonderful place. I didn't always believe that. Now I know it. Partly because I have lost people I love. By losing them, I have really begun to appreciate those around me. And that is very, very good.