Everybody looks into their life differently. Some feel their life is wonderful while others keep complaining. However, one needs to realize and understand that the life does not treat different people differently. Its different people who treat their life differently. We actually create our own reality.

The meaning of life is not a search – it is a choice. Meaning is not found in things; meaning is what we make of things. The world means nothing by itself. We give it all the meaning it has. Thus, the meaning of life is a choice we make, not just once, but every waking hour of our day.

The moment anything happens to us, we interpret a meaning for it. The meaning we vote for then governs our perception, our thinking, our choices, our feelings, our reactions, our behaviors, everything! Whenever we elect a new meaning, this changes everything. Here is a great key to healing and success.

An event occurs, and it is your interpretation and meaning that decides everything thereafter. There is no universal definition for either good or bad but our thinking makes it so.
For instance:

Two accidents in quick succession may mean God doesn’t care OR you need to take care.

A boss who spends no time with you may mean he doesn’t like you OR he trusts you.

When your beloved doesn’t call it may mean the romance is cooling OR he/she is simply busy.

Losing your lipstick might mean a world emergency OR it’s time to buy some more.

A stain on your shirt might mean a drama OR nothing.

Showing your emotions might be a sign of weakness OR a show of strength.

A failed job interview might mean you lost out OR something even better is in store.

These events mean nothing by itself. Its we who quickly interpret them as “bad” or “good”, “wrong” or “right”. This interpretation governs our thinking and then creates our reality. Fear is not in things; fear is only in the meaning you give things. Pain is not in things; pain is only in the meaning you give things. Change the meaning, and the fear and the pain are transformed.

Whenever you experience any trouble, look at what is troubling you, and ask yourself, “What if ‘bad’ is ‘good’, ‘wrong’ is ‘right,’ and this ‘trouble’ is a ‘gift’?” The fact is, “This could mean anything.” Changing our thoughts this way may help us in changing our interpretation of happening and create a different reality for ourselves. It also helps us to be open and receptive to higher thoughts.

Step one: Declare, “This could mean anything.”

Step two: Suspend all judgments and clear your mind.

Step three: Be open to higher inspiration, a new perception and a more positive interpretation.

We hold many beliefs. And some of us tend to assume that what we now hold to be true as really the truth. It is not uncommon to form an opinion on someone we know. That-

a person is unappreciative.

a person is self-centered.

a person is proud.

We are also quick to form an impression on the people we know little about. How? Is it through their appearance and the way they talk, walk, dress and behave at times? We may also dislike an activity or even a country even though we may not have tried the activity or stepped foot into that country. Why is this so? Perhaps because someone tells us so. Peer pressure or sometimes even the media plays a role in telling us that the country is far from our liking.

Assumptions are like the colours of a chameleon.
They keep changing. They have a tendency to do so. Yet none of it can be marked as wrong or right. We can’t assume the assumption to be right or wrong. But we should work with the possibility that rigidity in thought might hinder the ‘actual’ perception. We tend to give a structure to understand people, concepts, situations with a fixed mind set. But this does not work in every case. It is up to us to be flexible in our thought process and start believing that we are not the only ones who are capable of thought.

Giving the other perspective a thought or at least a consideration might help us change our assumptions. For example if you keep thinking that all people who smoke are necessarily people who are bad people, we might miss out on all the knowledge they possess because we assume that ‘bad’ is the only quality that describes them and the aspect or value of ‘knowledge’ is not taken into consideration. But just because our thought process is tainted its not necessary that, that is what actually ‘Is’.

Can you think of any negative or limiting beliefs you are currently holding? Whether of yourself, another person, an activity, a place, a type of food, a type of job etc. Be open to the possibility that what you are holding may not really be the truth even though you may have held them for ages. Think about it. Re-look at it. And hopefully something wonderful and refreshing awaits you.

Article by Bhakti Shah