EXPECT GOOD THINGS
or How Not To Be Paralyzed With Fear When The Phone Rings Or Checking The Mail
I used to flick the mail keys in my hands three times.
Three perfect loops or I started again.
If I didn’t, I couldn’t check the mail.
Guaranteed bad news.
Of course, the ‘guaranteed bad news’ part is untrue and is some, as yet, undiagnosed pedestrian level OCD type behaviour on my part.
I used to hate checking our mailbox. For awhile it seemed like there was nothing but bad news inside. And, to be honest, that was true for a number of weeks.
It’s easy to assume the worst. There’s something weirdly comforting in it.
I have a friend who when the UK started their weekly lottery in the 90s chose his six lucky numbers… but wouldn’t buy a ticket. He’d dutifully check the winning numbers each week and sigh relief when he didn’t win (actually, he’d say he’d won the price of a ticket that he would have bought and be £2 up).
However, assuming the worst can get us stuck in a rut. We can start to think… why bother?
One day, after receiving good news in the mail, I wondered why I didn’t just assume the best? Why wasn’t I expecting good things all the time?
So I decided to switch my perspective… and by that I mean I started flicking my keys three times (okay, okay, we’re all a little crazy), but now I expect good things.
It doesn’t always work. Sometimes there are bad things and that is what it is… but I’ve realized that bad things don’t happen all the time.
Good and bad stuff happens.
Expect good things. Deal with bad while you wait for more good.
###
(Pictured: Author poses having just lost £2 in Lucky Dip which is also name of his hairstyle)