A couple of times in the last few days an interesting experience has occurred. I have deliberately faced difficult or stressful situations with an extremely positive outlook and something marvelous has happened.
For example, I had to prepare the goals and objectives for my department for the upcoming year. A presentation was then to be given to the President and VP’s of the company I work for. Although I have no issues with public speaking, the senior members of my company are, to put it mildly, spectacularly proficient at smelling fear and quite efficient at destroying egos. I was naturally apprehensive in relation to this meeting.
I made a decision though, to face this fear with nothing but positive emotions. I went into the conference room with the determination to embrace the suffering I was sure to receive at the hands of these corporate sharks.
I was happy to be in the midst of the chum.
Then the marvelous something happened.
The meeting was cancelled.
This changing of events has been happening with regularity since I’ve adopted this positive outlook. All sorts of stressful or annoying situations have miraculously turned positive in some way.
So I’m left with some questions. Am I changing the outcome of events with this new-found power? That would be very cool and appeals to the fan-boy inside me. Am I only suppressing these stressful feelings and generating ulcers and migraines that will assail me in the near future? I dunno, I feel pretty good right about now.
There is a Buddhist notion that states: adopting a positive attitude in the face of difficulty prevents worse consequences down the line or harmful karma. If I can equate karma to habit perhaps what is going on is that these cool things happen all the time but I am only noticing them now because I’m no longer focusing on the negatives that brought me there. Breaking the habit so to speak.
Or just coincidence. Either way, I’m still feeling pretty damn good.
Today's listening pleasure: Keith Jarrett Trio - Whisper Not
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