You Are A Very Lucky Person.

Today we ask that you celebrate all that is good in your life at this moment.

Humans tend to look critically at their lives, from the perspective of “what is wrong.”  This begins at a certain point in childhood, once children are exposed to concepts like the grading system, and the class system.  They begin to judge themselves, and the people they know, as successes and failures according to their culture.  They compare themselves to others.  They strive to be both simultaneously “normal,” and “special.”  They want to both fit in with their peer group, and meet cultural expectations; but also distinguish themselves as being more special than others.

This is a recipe for a life of misery, and craziness.

And so, beginning at a certain point in childhood, the human is an unhappy creature.  He is taught that his chronic unhappiness is meant as a motivator toward achieving his goals of “normalness” and “specialness.”  When the human achieves a goal, he experiences a momentary, fleeting high.  This high quickly dissipates, driving the human toward further activity that will in turn create another high.

Humans are taught that constant busy-ness and striving are a sign of virtue, and the only way to ensure superiority.

So the human is taught and encouraged to constantly be critical of himself, and others.  How else may he achieve his goals?  How else will he make sure that he is both “normal” and “special”?

From a spiritual perspective, this is total insanity.

From a spiritual perspective, most humans live in a kind of “Alice in Wonderland” reality, where everything is topsy turvy and backwards.

There is another way to live.

Young children play.  They play, and create.  They explore things that fascinate them with boundless curiosity and energy.  They are always asking questions, yearning to know how something works.  When they see an adult do something that looks interesting, they want to learn to do it themselves.

Their action arises not from miserable self-criticism, but playful curiosity and enthusiasm.  They wake up in the morning excited, and often go to bed reluctantly — for the world holds so many wonders.

Some adults never lose this spark.  They instinctively reject their culture’s efforts to teach them to be dutiful, miserable, self-critical citizens who believe they must be both “normal” and “special.”  Instead, they keep playing.  They follow what excites them with boundless curiosity and energy, just like a child.  They could care less about being normal or special.  They’re just playing.  

Perhaps you know such a person.  Perhaps you are such a person.

This is really the way to live.

How can you get there?

Instead of focusing your consciousness on criticizing all that is wrong with you, other people, and reality, you celebrate all that is good about yourself, other people, and reality.

What do you love about your life?

It can be a small thing.  Maybe you have a beloved pet.  Maybe there is something you really like to eat, or a TV show you really enjoy.  It doesn’t matter what it is.  Just connect with a feeling of appreciation.

Can you look at your life from the perspective of all the good things that have happened to you?  All the good things that you have done?

Can you reframe your life story from the perspective of someone who is lucky?

You may feel a huge amount of resistance around this.  But try it, nonetheless.

Today, write down your life story, beginning with the sentence:

“I am a very lucky person.”

And then recount, to yourself, all the ways you have been lucky in your life.

Write down your “lucky” life story.

Can you think of things that happened to you that at the time seemed unlucky, that in retrospect you can see actually were lucky?  Focus on such events.

Notice if there are any patterns.  Any areas in your life where you have felt especially “lucky”.

There are places to expand your energy.  To explore, with the playful curiosity of a child.

Notice all the resistance that may come up, or attempts your critical mind may make to tear down any narrative in which you cast yourself as “lucky.”  Notice if there is a counter-voice that insists that you are not lucky at all; that really, you are a victim.

Nevertheless, you really are a very lucky person.

Write down the story of yourself, as a lucky person.

You may be surprised by all the good luck you have experienced, and continue to experience, in your life.  Celebrate it.