“There are two ways you can live: as if nothing is a miracle or as if everything is a miracle.”
Albert Einstein
We all know that you can’t find what you’re not looking for. In this same way, if you don’t live life with your eyes open to the miracles in life then you won’t ever see them. Your miracles will remain cloaked by negativity; blinded by the difficulties of your woeful lot in life. But there is a way to positively transform your vision to view your miracles even despite your undesirable circumstances.
Three ways to live a miraculous life
- Be thankful. For a long time, I have adopted the habit of consciously appreciating five things each day in my life. Today I am thankful for being able to go out in the Phoenix sunshine (rather than the alternative which is the cold, wet and windy British weather); reading an amazingly inspirational book; inviting a child in my neighborhood to church tomorrow for a Kid’s Easter Egg Hunt… I have more things on my list too, but why not give it a try yourself right now? (For the first two weeks doing this, it is a good idea to write your thanks down on paper to get into the swing of it.)
- Catch yourself! Don’t be afraid to tell yourself off – maybe not loudly or even out loud at all, in case you get labelled insane. An internal reprimand works for me when I catch myself descending into a cloud of negative thought or behavior. A close friend of mine calls it being a ‘Debbie Downer’.
A close friend of mine calls it being a ‘Debbie Downer’. Even just saying that to myself makes me laugh out loud… Even just saying that to myself makes me laugh out loud (literally, though) because it’s such a funny phrase. I dare you to think of that phrase next time you get down and not smile – or even create an alternative funny one. Like everything in life, you can’t create a solution until you identify the problem that exists. Similarly, you will only change your emotional state if you are mindfully aware of when that cloud appears, and intentional about replacing it with a positive substitute.
- Recognize the miracle in the sadness. It is easy to recognize when a miracle (an inexplicable positive event considered to be the act of a divine power) occurs. It is less easy in an inexplicable negative event – the type that whips the wind from your sails, knocks you off your feet and leaves you gasping for air at the injustice of it all. And by ‘it all’ I mean life. Those times when you just want to question and be angry at everything are the times when you need to remember to search for your blessings: the rainbow through the clouds and rain. As cliché as that sounds, it works. I have been abroad to cities with tremendous poverty, yet still see smiling faces and hear the screeches of laughter. I still see hope and feel the faith that these masses exude, and when I’ve spoken with a few individuals, they speak as though each day is a miracle. Because even amidst the seeming darkness of their worlds, they recognize the miracle. When I had another surgery in June 2014, after the initial shock and upset of it all – I caught myself and instead of seeing this as a massive setback, I was encouraged by the opportunity this brought me to improve upon my weaknesses. The miracle too was that I had a free surgery with a conscientious and kind surgeon; I didn’t have to pay and I received the highest quality service. What a miracle!
So give these three tricks a try, and let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear what methods you employ to live a miraculous life! Please share your thoughts in the comment box below, like and follow if you would like to be updated about any future posts.
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