Seth Godin’s post on December 23 hit a nerve.
In an abundance of caution highlights a question: what might be the result if we were to act out of an abundance of joy?
The difficulty?
Seeing the downside is easy. Few things go exactly as we expect. Fewer still, the way we’d like them to go. Better to adjust expectations, and be prepared to identify what went awry. We might even convince ourselves that the ability to spot what is wrong is insight or intellect.
But make a habit of always looking at things through one lens, and this view may morph into a window through which everything is seen and interpreted.
Joy, on the other hand, isn’t so easy. It is creative in nature. It calls on us to discount a perspective based solely on hindsight.
Joy is about creation, and possibility.
Thankfully, a season rolls around that re-calibrates our focus. For a moment we become more positive. Even see more good. (When we’re not racing to that open parking space or jockeying for position in a checkout line, of course.)
What might a new year look like if daily perspective grew out of an abundance of joy?
I buy what Godin is selling — that our perspective, to a great degree, determines what we see. That we tend to experience what we expect to experience.
So it is out of an abundance of Joy that I celebrate the season, that I am grateful for family and friends — relationships that trump everything.
I believe each day is a gift, with new opportunities for exuberance.
And I’m thankful for all who frequent this forum — contributing in significant ways to the thoughts and ideas we offer as fodder for creative, productive conversations.
Merry Christmas. May your holidays be peaceful and bright.