An Old Tale For a New Year

There’s a traditional tale of an innkeeper, of the Old West, who’s lodge is perched just on the outskirts of a pioneer settlement.  One day a couple arrives, tired and dusty, having traveled all the way across the country.  “How are the people in the valley down the way?” the man asks the innkeeper. 

“How did you find the people in the village you just left?” the innkeeper asks in return.

“Lovely!” the man and women respond in unison. “They were kind and friendly.  So welcoming and warm. We really hated to leave.”

WIthout even a pause the innkeeper replied “I imagine you’ll find the people here much the same.”  

They both smiled.  “Great!  We’ll stay!”  they both said.  

The next day a second couple arrived, bedraggled and dust-covered, having traveled equally as far as the first couple, and asked the same question.  “How are the people in  the valley down the way?” 

 Again, the innkeeper queried “How did you find the people in the village you just left?” 

“Ugh!” they both said.  “Not nice at all.  They were critical, unhelpful and generally unpleasant.”  the husband said, the wife shaking her head in agreement.  

Again, without pause the innkeeper responded “I imagine you’ll find the people here much the same.”  

The couple grimaced.  “We’ll move on, then”  they both said.  And, they left.

Attitude and perception, that’s what it’s all about; a self fulfilling prophesy.  If you choose to see ugliness, and unpleasantness then that is what you will see.  That is what you will feel.  It is how you will behave, and how you will perceive behavior reflected back at you. It is what your life will be, no matter where you live, who you are married to , or what job you have. It is your choice.  

WIth the start of a New Year you can decide to make outlandish resolutions, carry old baggage, fuel old hurts, to hold onto all the things that make you unhappy, unsatisfied and unfulfilled.  

OR, you can truly make a worthwhile, powerful and lasting decision to look for something good in each moment, to enjoy each passing hour, to find something pleasant in an otherwise challenging situation.  You can choose, from this moment forward to make every day a New Day, all fresh and sparkly clean. You can experience the optimism, and determination you feel this New Years Day every single day of your life, from here on in.  If that is what you choose.

Are you going to go into this New Year as the couple that continually moves on, unhappy with life and all that surrounds them?  Or, are you going to decide it’s great right here and stay, recognizing the beauty that you bring to every moment of your life, the kindness and joy that surrounds you and all the bounty that goes along with it. 

Again, the choice is yours. 

For this New Year I wish you the ability to stay; to see the goodness right where you are, to appreciate the bounty that is already before you and revel in it.  For it is from this vantage point that you will ultimately find true contentment, and everything else will fall into place.

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Do you believe that simply having a positive outlook can change the actuality of your life?  I'd love to hear your comments below.