Tide Change

My husband and I departed from the airport with great excitement for a much-awaited vacation. We flew to Europe; my suitcase stayed behind. What an opportunity to complain, berate and bemoan a great inconvenience. What a chance to learn. For years I’ve taught and I’ve known that I can choose how I perceive life. Now I had the chance to practice it.

My attitude was mercurial. At times I enjoyed the beautiful surroundings and relaxation. Then like a tide change, I would remember my missing suitcase and in a split second my surroundings disappeared, and I was once again anger and resistance. I vacillated between flowing with the stream and drowning in the surge. I was inundated with the force of the waves.

One of the laws of the universe as taught by Napoleon Hill is the Law of Relativity. This law states that “everything is how it is”, period. We can perceive life as we wish. I wondered why I was ruining my days in these beautiful surroundings because of outside circumstances.

When I suddenly changed my thoughts and could see once again the beauty around me, other wonderful thoughts followed along like a flock of birds. At last, I had opened my eyes, simply by being aware of the present moment. It was becoming too painful to stay stuck and miss my holiday. Colors became so vivid and from somewhere inside me I knew I didn’t want to punish myself any more. I realized a sense of oneness and peace, happy to forgive and love.

What gratitude I felt! What power I have to choose my reactions, to be present in the moment or to be reactive to the past.