The View From Here

 

I am pondering today:  How much do my “views” about the world actually shape my future experiences in the world?  How much do my beliefs about the world and how life works create the form my future takes? Do I usually get what I believe I will get?

This seems especially relevant to me right now as the U.S. enters the home stretch of a particularly nasty and malicious presidential election.  And it’s also an election where the 2 main presidential candidates have very different viewpoints about the world and how it all “works.”  So, which viewpoint do I vote for – Obama’s or Romney’s?  Does my vote even matter?  How much might this one little choice alter my future?

Years ago, 2 amazing change agents named Jerry Weinberg and Jean McLendon introduced me to an eye-opening model of perception and reality:

 Malicious, Stupid or Kind Universe?

Do I see my world as Mean and malicious?  Do I believe that people are out to hurt me and reject me? Do events seem to conspire against me? Do I live in fear that God is watching and waiting to punish me?

Or is my world Stupid?  Does everyone I meet seem to be a moron?  Do I believe that I am the only one that knows what’s going on around here – is everyone else just too stupid to see the truth?

Or do I live in a Kind world? Are people basically caring and kind? Do people want to assist me and help me? Is God supporting me and helping me in every moment?

(I believe this model was originally created by psychotherapist Virginia Satir)

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I LOVE this model of the Universe!  When I take the time to use it,  I realize just how much I can sabotage myself by approaching the world like it is out to hurt me or trip me up and get in my way.

Remembering this model, and asking myself just one simple question can jerk me right out of my “story” about whatever is happening in my personal life OR in world events today that bothers me:

 “Which Universe am I living in today?”

Asking which Universe I find myself in right now, helps me stop whining and blaming others. Then I can back up and gain a bit of perspective. And when I ask this question a lot, I begin to see how I add to my own misery every time I approach the world from any space other than kindness and benevolence.

What happens when I assume a kind Universe, a benevolent God who is just waiting to help and support me?  What happens to my day?

And what would happen if I choose to make kindness my religion?

“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.”
–Dalai Lama 

My heart opens whenever I see this quote from the Dalai Lama. And that’s the energy I feel  emanating from the Dalai Lama; pure kindness.  I bet HE inhabits a kind and caring Universe most days. 🙂

So, here I sit pondering my personal life and global events… How much does my viewpoint matter? Do my choices make any difference?

I choose YES!  I choose to matter –

because in my world, change happens one kind little choice at a time.