Imagine, if
you will, two rooms at the end of a hallway.
(Let me guess, there is a horror
movie that starts this way.)
There is only one object in each room. One holds a
microscope and the other a telescope. Can you guess which room I would like for
you to go into?
Actually I
want you to step into each of them. Different reasons/hopefully different
outcomes.
Let’s start
with the Microscope Room.
The purpose
of the microscope is to detect and investigate objects invisible to the human
eye. It is used with great success for detecting maladies or inconsistencies
that if caught in time can be fixed, cured, or eradicated.
Tiny slivers are
encased in slides and viewed and logged with great care.
When I first started jotting
down ideas for this entry, my initial thought was to suggest avoiding this room
altogether. That would have been ill-advised. It is true, however; that so many
of us spend way too much time in this room already. But for
all the wrong reasons.
We go in there to dissect our bodies, our weight, our
appearance, our worth. Very little good, if any, can come from that. Men and women alike also use this microscope
to pick out the minute differences in one other; status, finances, family, etc.
We get caught up in categorizing insignificant details on these life ‘slides’
and store them away to be pulled out and viewed again. That is the most
damaging use for the Microscope Room. Collectively we need to agree to end all
these behaviors and destroy those ‘slides’ that label and divide us.
I do not want
us to padlock that room just yet though. There are a few things worthy of a closer
look.
For one, I believe it is a good idea to run certain attitudes through
Life’s Microscope.
Victim, reactionary, doomsday, cynicism, arrogance,
self-destruction. If any of these storylines play out in your daily life, slap
them under that microscope. Try and pinpoint the originating cell and figure out
a way to destroy it.
I understand I only have the right to speak for myself,
but I am willing to bet most of you reading this are greatly blessed. Can you
imagine the effect on our community and even our world, if each of us were just
10% more grateful?
Attitude is one of the first things noticed in the initial
15 minutes of meeting and having a conversation with someone. Let yours be
delightful!
I can think
of at least one other thing we should consistently put under the microscope.
Decisions.
I am confident most of us have made it to the point in life where we
understand the ramifications of certain choices. However, at times we are still
motivated. By fear. Or greed. Or maybe simply the inability to say ‘No’.
I also
do not feel our age ever precludes us from certain peer pressures. So let’s try
to mentally examine our decisions. (Now, don’t hold up the Chick Fil A Drive
Thru contemplating your lunch. That will only cause someone else to resurrect
an attitude from the preceding paragraph.) But just make sure the life option
you go with fits in line with your ideals and goals. Your comfort level and
values. You do not owe an explanation to the world; just yourself.
So, now let’s
move next door to the Telescope Room.
A telescope
is used to see remote objects. (Not your neighbor.)
Its purpose is to help the
viewer see past what is directly in front of them and explore the possibilities
beyond. We all need to try a little more of that.
Sometimes we tend to get
stuck in the small box/world we have created for ourselves. We construct barriers
and limits. I am very humbled and grateful for the positive comments regarding my
blog and writings. However, I struggle with the ‘what ifs’.
What if I had
started earlier, tried harder, etc. But that is me standing in the wrong room.
By moving just one door down to the Telescope Room and I can look outward and
dream. We all can. Just walking up to the telescope takes a certain amount of
bravery. It involves trusting ourselves enough to believe we are all meant for
better things with still room to grow.
Another truth
about the Telescope Room is that the objects, in reality, truly are currently
beyond our reach. They are not a given or guaranteed.
It takes effort and
determination to reach them. But just knowing they are out there can be just the
right amount of push to motivate and inspire us to stretch ourselves. Get
beyond ourselves and our current circumstances. I do not know what you might
see in your Telescope Room, but know this. If you can see it, you can get
there. (I’m channeling Field of Dreams.)
And so as not
to appear too self-centered and narcissistic, we should also use the Telescope
Room to help us see beyond our comfortable lives to realize there are others
out there who need our help.
Not necessarily always with money, even though
that might factor in. Consider Time. Kindness. Even a strong back occasionally.
Sometimes when you look outward, you can identify ways to make a positive
impact on someone outside of your inner circle. I have some amazing friends
that regularly work with Habitat for Humanity and raise money for several other charities. They understand the Telescope
Room!
There you
have it! Two very different views of your life. There is a time for
introspection and then a time for launching. I encourage you to stroll through
both rooms today. The key though is to not stay in either one very long.
There’s a big, bright, beautiful world out there. Go be spectacular in it!
And always...
Hope With Abandon
Hope Out
www.hopeboulevard.com
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