What
we always keep on seeking in life is news about some burning issue or something
of our interest, for which we never made time for before. Events and incidences
make us want to know the reality or the in- depth truth of a particular
situation. Also when someone knows better than us or even challenges/ teases us
for not knowing what they know, a bit of ego in us arises and pushes our mind
to know and learn that particular thing.
How
we look at life and instances that we come across solely depends on our mindset
and our attitude towards life. The famous example of the glass either half full
or half empty explains about our attitude to life. All events in life teach us
something and leave us with something precious for lifetime memories to
cherish.
Let’s
begin with the desire to know or learn something by the example of a person who
is a voracious reader. Another person who constantly notices him reading feels
that after a certain stretch of time the desire to read has arisen in him.
In
the same way many other things also take place in life without much effort.
Either we see others doing something and want to do it or we are challenged or
provoked by someone to learn something. Either ways, the motivation level seems
to be high. Once we start learning, all things seem to flow smoothly.
There
was a teenager who had gone for a Eucharistic Celebration. The one in charge of
music was supposed to play that day. However he thought it better to give the
opportunity to the teenager. He told him to play the piano for the Eucharist.
However the teenager didn’t know how to tune the keyboard to match the tuning
of the guitar. He had a lucky escape that day because the speaker that was
required for the piano wasn’t available.
The
teenager felt a sense of relief. He made up his mind that he would learn to
play the piano without being nervous and also learn to tune instruments.
Another person from the parish who knew the music in charge grumbled saying
that he only played during feast days and that too to show off. The only
difference between the two perspectives was that one took it in a positive way
and made a resolution to better himself while the other looked at the situation
in a negative way and spoiled the musicians name. Our attitude to life
determines what we will do, where we will go and how far we will succeed.
At
another moment the same teenager who knew little bit about piano was asked by
the same music in charge to play during the Eucharist. The teenager would have
played like a maestro if he was given the chords, however he had to play by ear
(This talent he hadn’t developed as yet and didn’t have the confidence to play
on the spot). The hymn began and he was struggling to get the notes. He kept
the volume bar somewhere in the middle so that people wouldn’t make out whether
he made a mistake or not.
Since
the teenager was finding it difficult to play, another musician beside him who
was playing the congo told the music in charge to come and play. A thousand
thoughts were running through the teenagers mind on not being able to play
well, of switching places with the music in charge and so on. Finally they
switched places and the teenager felt a sense of relief. The teenager took this
event positively and made sure that he learnt music well.
There
were two possibilities or ways in which the teenager could have looked at this
situation namely positively and negatively. Looking at it negatively would have
only left him bitter and negative. Since he took the event in a positive sense
he learnt not only the keyboard but also many other musical instruments. We get
what we look for.
We
make or break ourselves by the way we look at life and the situations we face
in life. An open mind and an open heart will take us to places we have never
even dreamt of. Learning to take situations in the right sense and making the
best use of opportunities available will surely help us to go a long way in life.
Accept situations positively!
