I Didn't Find What I Was Looking For...
I didn't find what I was looking for... Those were the only words that comprised a recently received E-mail concerning SomethingToShare.com. Despite the diverse offering of inspirational material, and the extremely low cost of admission - it's peculiar that a tiny population of visitors have nothing to offer except negativity. Typically these individuals, armed with merely a quick visit to one of the many areas offered on the site and minimal comprehension - are perfectly eager to pass uninformed judgment.
I remember the initial 'I didn't find what I was looking for' response, temporarily at least, invoked feelings of shock and confusion. Shortly thereafter however, I reasoned that being overly concerned with the tainted views of the few only served to devalue the heartfelt thoughts and praises of our many inspired visitors. And frankly, that wasn't an acceptable option. Attempting to gain some perspective on the most recent E-mail and how such a negative thought process is rendered however, a somewhat surprising realization occurred.
First the background... A few months back, I heard a Motivational Speaker tell a story about a visit to the East Coast. Upon meeting a woman familiar with his work, he found himself in a friendly conversation. The woman, asked whether he found West Coast neighbors to be friendly. His response was "Well, I don't know... do you find people friendly on the East Coast?" "People here are terrific", replied the woman - "neighbors look out for each other, people are generally pleasant, it's a good place to live." To which the motivational speaker offered - "that's about what you would find on the West Coast."
Later that day, he found himself in a similar discussion with another woman curious about his perspective. When asked whether he found California people to be friendlier than people on the East Coast - he asked whether she found East Coast people friendly. "No, not really... people here don't seem to have much interest in each other... they don't talk much... they don't seem to have much to do with each other", she replied. "That's about what you'll find on the West Coast", the Motivational Speaker indicated.
How could his answer to both women be the same? To answer that question, we should first examine how two women, living in the same area, have completely opposite perspectives about their immediate environment. Could it be that their perceptions have little to do with the environment itself - and much to do with the perspective of each of the individuals?
In the end, ultimately what life offers us is mostly influenced by what we are looking for... Be friendly and open yourself up to people - and they will be more likely to open up to you. Believe you are going to have a good day - and you greatly increase the probability you will. Look for the good in someone or something - and that's exactly what you will most often find.
Thus, as our perspectives are most often a reflection of our paradigms, I realized the author of the E-mail was in fact incorrect. In reality, he or she had found exactly what they were looking for - just as numerous positive individuals have, prompting such inspired testimonials about the site. The site content didn't change... just what people happen to be visiting it.
Essentially every day, and every situation, is ultimately a garbage in - garbage out scenario. What you get out of it is directly dependent on what you put in to it, psychologically... physically... spiritually. Thus, when the dust settles, the real message is inspiration can come, but only to those who would be inspired - others will find only words.
And as each moment is what we make of it, I am going to forget about the one, focus on the many, conclude this article and enjoy the rest of my day.
Be inspired...
