
I recently met a woman who complained it is never sunny, and yet, I see the sun shining nearly every day. It is sunny right now! How could two women living in the same town experience entirely different weather? Psychologists call this a 'confirmation bias' - each person notices when something matches their belief and ignores other information.
Knowing it is sometimes sunny and sometimes not, would deliberately challenging our belief by intentionally seeking evidence to the contrary shift our mood? Yes.
When we look for beauty without, we find it within. When we find beauty within, we see it without.
Even on the cloudiest day, we can find beauty in something. Perhaps it is a fragrance in the air or the way the clouds stack to form a cozy woolen blanket. Or the reflection of the sky in puddles. Maybe we are delighted by the sound of snow crunching beneath our boots. Can we appreciate the way a pine tree stands out in a snowstorm or marvel at a smile on a passing stranger's face?
When we pay attention, we begin to see that the barrier between 'within' and 'without' does not exist.
If we want to feel good, happy, and optimistic - we appreciate beauty. If we'd prefer to feel bad, sad, and hopeless - we focus on the things that upset and make us feel powerless. This is how we create our own reality.
Today is Monday. What will you focus on this week?
Image courtesy of the Canva pro media library.
Comments