Life is what you make it. I must’ve written, typed, exclaimed this a million times in the last 2 years. Each day I believe it more and more. The trouble that could arise from this view is that one may not live life honestly–by that I mean that by being determined to make the best of every situation you tend to place a filter on your experiences. Some call this “rose-coloured glasses” but I think there is a difference.
I don’t believe that seeing the best in the world is a matter of painting everything in a positive pallet, but seeing everything, acknowledging and accepting the imperfections and heartbreaks, yet moving past them in search of the good you know exists elsewhere in the world.
If you whole-heartedly believe that goodness is in your near future, it will come. Probably the most difficult aspect of this is waiting for the unexpected. The next step. The next good thing to come your way is very rarely what is expected. It’s almost never something that can be planned. It could be large and significant, or small and seemingly insignificant.
This doesn’t mean that we should be sitting around and waiting for the next great thing to come to us. Pursuing dreams and desires while getting to know the world will put us directly in the path of those fulfilling moments. Every moment is build of pain and beauty, failure and success, consumption and escape, death and life.
Like two sides of a wall, it is foolish to claim the other does not exist, but we can always choose which side we’d rather stand on. You would never view a painting from the backside of the canvas, so why would we look at life from the negative side? Why not admire all the beauty, while acknowledging that there are other aspects behind those strokes and colours?
The wall is our own attitudes. I also believe strongly that good things come to those with a positive attitude. If you see life as an opportunity, an adventure, you are standing on the right side of the wall.
All right, so what do I really mean? Let’s send you on a journey….
You’re leaving on a train from London to Edinburgh. The underground line that will get you from your home to King’s Cross, where you train departs, is closed. So, your journey is already delayed, and you have to make 2 extra changes. When you finally depart on the train to Edinburgh at 10:20, the train in front of you breaks down and, once again, delays your journey. What’s more, is that the passengers from that train have to join your already crowded train. So now you are crowded AND late, sitting behind a crying baby. At least, you could look at it strictly in that way, or…..
When the underground line was closed you had to take the overground, albeit longer, but much more scenic. This train took you right past the most beautiful English country scene you’ve ever seen. You resolve to return to that exact spot so you can use the inspiration to write, paint, photograph, or maybe take your loved one for a romantic walk and picnic. When you are gathering your tickets at King’s Cross, the lady in front of you, clearly excited at the opportunity to travel and see her family, engaged you in a brief conversation that can’t help but make you smile. On the train, the mother in front of you displays the most loving patiences with her upset baby that you have, nearly, ever seen. The little girl across from you is wide-eyed and preciously enthusiastic about the world around her. She sees you smile and giggles and waves. When the passengers from the broken-down train join you, standing in the aisles, you gaze out the window at the gorgeous, sunny scenery and smile at your luck: the smallest decision to leave 20 minutes later ensured you a comfortable seat and the inspiration to reflect on your own life, and do some writing you haven’t done in ages. Above all, you are on your way to experience new things with old friends.
Life is what you make it.
