I was having lunch with my friend Sarah today and we started talking about how at this age (we’re both in our mid-50’s) we’re finally feeling like Everything is Okay. Despite what we read in the news or see online, we both have this solid feeling of “All is Well-ness.” As we shared our thoughts and experiences about this, I realized it has a lot to do with a few practices that are basic to our lifestyles:
First, we both meditate on a regular, if not daily, basis. This discipline of the mind has helped each of us to have more space in our thinking, more room for contemplation, and more patience. We both agreed that this practice has reduced our reactions and increased our responses to life.
Because of this delay in reacting, we’re able to step back, take a breath and look at things differently. There’s more room to laugh at ourselves and at life. We’re not so quick to judge situations, ourselves or others, and less likely to decide that something’s wrong or bad or a problem. Sure, this slower thinking could be a function of physical aging but it’s also a sign of spiritual maturity — our willingness to suspend ego-reactions long enough to take a softer and less judgmental look at a situation.
Which leads to choosing to see the good. Every thing we experience is overlaid with our own personal interpretations and perceptions. Any given circumstance can be viewed from multiple angles and interpreted in a variety of ways. But we often see things as colored by our opinions and interpreted by our beliefs. The trick is to be aware of these habitual interpretations and choose to see the good. Sarah and I are both at a point where we want to enjoy life, and choosing to see the good beats focusing on problems any day.
It’s when we choose to see the good that we open ourselves up to the Reality that All is Well. Starting with the premise that Everything’s Fine helps color our experiences in beautiful shades of love, joy, peace, abundance, harmony and so on.
All is well. Life is good. And I can choose to see it that way anytime I want. And so can you.