“If all you did was just look 
for things to appreciate, 
you would live a 
joyously spectacular life.”  
~ Abraham Hicks

In recent years, much has been written about the importance of developing the right mindset In our personal and professional lives. While the jargon may be new, the concepts of developing a positive attitude and living with a sense of positivity have been around for generations. Call it what you will. As Abraham Hicks points out, “If all you did was just look for things to appreciate, you would live a joyously spectacular life.” I believe this.

To be fair, I should acknowledge that a “joyously spectacular life” does not mean a life without hardship and pain. These are unavoidable human experiences. Sickness, disappointment, death, and grief will, without a doubt, be a part of every human’s life journey. What Hicks is suggesting is that the mindset with which we approach these challenging times will have a profoundly significant effect on how we cope with them when they arise.

A relatively small percentage of the population, it seems, are born with the disposition to see the good in life. Despite their own trials and tribulations, they maintain a positive outlook on life and have a way of seeing the good in some of life’s most difficult times. Most of us, I would think, were not born with this gift. Fortunately, I’m confident that it is possible to develop such a mindset. In this way, we, too, can see and experience the good in life more readily.

In each person’s life, there will be times of crisis. These experiences have the potential to bring us to our knees, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Those who embrace the understanding of the word “crisis” as it is presented in the Chinese language are better equipped to recognize the potential good in any situation. In the Chinese language, the word “crisis,” as we understand it, requires two characters. Used together, they mean “crisis” as we understand it. When looked at separately, one character means “danger” while the other means “opportunity.” This is consistent with the Ignatian spirituality concept to which I was introduced in my four years at a Jesuit high school and five years at two Jesuit universities: finding God in all things. In any situation, we are invited and challenged to ask, “Where is God in this?”

Despite the evil, hardships, and sinfulness which exist in our world today, we still have the opportunity to consciously and conscientiously seek the good in life. It’s up to us to seek and recognize these things in what’s happening around us. 

Author Paolo Coelho reminds us, “It’s the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary.”  Let’s do what we can to make our lives joyously spectacular.