When I was younger, I remember watching a movie based on a book written by Ray Bradbury called, “Something wicked this way comes” and although it was not scary, the title in itself had me wondering what was coming. It sounded bad. Because of the word, “wicked”, the title created some anxiety and a little bit of fear. I was hesitant and nervous, wondering when “wicked” was going to show up. And it did. But like in most movies that are entertaining, there must be good and evil and we want the story to end well. This one does.
The difference ONE word makes…
ONE.
We look ahead to the future because we have to for a variety of reasons. When we move into a house with our one year old daughter, we need to learn more about the neighborhood and schools even though it is not relevant right now. But it will be. Our retirement is set aside for us (in most cases) to help us be able to buy food and travel. It can be difficult not to get ahead of ourselves in some situations — whether it is worrying about possible layoffs at work…a lump we find in a breast…or even water damaged caused by heavy rainfall. It is only natural to want to know how things will turn out, especially when things are not something we desire. We all do it. But what would happen if instead of looking for the bad (or in this case, wicked), we looked for the good? Imagine how that changes everything…
For years, I have pleaded with my two wonderful sisters to move their families here to Nebraska and have so far (I am not giving up) been unsuccessful with that feat. I remember when my husband flew out to Omaha for a job interview, not really knowing how a few words could literally change everything for us and our future. And then when he accepted the job, everything that I knew nothing about quickly became real. Just like in the above scenarios. Now, I had to deal. I could not even tell you where Nebraska was on the map (I knew it was east of Nevada), and wrote out a pro and con list. Guess what I realized…my con list was much longer than my pro list. WHY? Because I found the “wicked” easier because most people do that…they find the bad before the good.
Here is where changing ONE word changes everything…
If I to do that same list today, my list of pros and cons would still include one list being longer than the other…but it would be reversed. The pro list would contain things like, “There are four seasons”, “Traffic is easier to drive in” and “The cost of living is cheaper”.
Sometimes, it is difficult to know what the good looks like because we are afraid to give ourselves permission to find it. That has to stop in order for us to look at situations differently. Some bridges we just can’t cross until we get to them. But look for hope…search for the good…be open to new adventures…it is ok to be unpredictable…accept that, sometimes, the best plans are the ones that are never made. Pay attention to what is going on around you and what lay in front on you. Some of those things may or may not change. Nothing we can do about that…but how we interpret and see those things is what makes all of the difference in the world.
Watch what happens when you change one negative word and make it positive…it doesn’t have to be a big thing, but it will be amazing how just using different words will change what you think, how you act, and who you want to be around. It is not hard, but it does require some effort. Try it and let me know what happens!
Watch for it…it is coming. It may arrive in a way you never imagined, with someone you have never met before, at the worst time. Look for the “awesome”…anticipate it’s arrival…and then embrace it when it gets to you. Never let it go. Hold onto the memory that accompanies it. It is not a fluke. Believe that awesome things happen…because they will.
Michelle A. Homme 2014 ©
