If you have recently spent any time with a small child you probably have enjoyed a smile or laugh at how they might interpret something that happens quite far from the truth. I mean, they don’t exactly have a lot of life experiences to draw from but they do a pretty good job sorting the world out.

One sweet boy I used to teach was certain that all the teachers lived at school. It made perfect sense to him. Teachers were always in the building after all. When asked why he thought I had a car in the parking lot he simply stated that I needed it to go get groceries of course. He had it if all figured out in his head and it all made perfect sense, so he believed it.

Another kindergarten age child explained to me once how the sun got up because he did. Again, this makes perfect sense to this child so he believed it and it was reinforced every time he got up.

A good chuckle true but have you ever noticed that we tend to continue this way of assuming things as adults?

Think about it for just a moment. Take for example, the guy you see every morning at the coffee shop who suddenly doesn’t smile or say hello back to you. We think that they are grumpy, miserable or don’t like us.  Many of us can actually create quite personal issues, where their most likely are none.

Or do you ever think to yourself that it seems every time you get a little extra money something breaks! I know I’ve jokingly said my car must have a chip in it that knows exactly how much money is in my bank account because it always breaks just about that much.

These ideas or stories I conduct in my head do not serve my life terribly well. In fact, they take away from it and add negativity and stress.

I could just have easily have said that perhaps the guy at the coffee shop is have a tough day and been kinder towards him. I could make an effort to brighten his day rather than let this dampen mine.

I could look at it as a wonderful blessing that the universe is providing just what I need right now to fix my car, rather than viewing it as a situation that is taking away something from me.

Shifting into compassion and gratitude can change everything including the stories we tell ourselves about how the world works and what is happening around us. Those stories changing will ultimately shift the type of life that we experience and live.

It takes practice to learn to do this. You are after all undoing a habit that has embedded itself into your unconscious behaviors.

I use reminders when doing this inner work to help me. I use many different ways to help me remember and to support the new practice. One way is through mindfulness practice.  Another that works for me is through scent and touchstones (such as these).  Affirmations on post-its, auto-emails and text reminders…what ever works for you, do MORE of that!

Doing this type of work will shift, move and rearrange your outer life and your inner world.

Holy crap right?  THAT is huge! And after all, if you’re going to make up some shit about well, everything – why not make up good stuff?