We live in a culture that uses labels as a means of understanding the world and the people living in it. As a result, many of us find ourselves laboring under a label that has a negative connotation. Unless we can find a way to see the good in such a label, we may feel burdened by an idea of ourselves that is not accurate. It is important to remember that almost nothing in this world is all good or all bad, and most everything is a complex mixture of gifts and challenges. In addition, different cultures revere certain qualities over others, but this does not mean that these qualities are inherently good or bad. For example, a culture that elevates outgoing behavior will label an introvert in a negative way, calling them antisocial. In truth, the ability to spend time alone is one that most great artists, mystics, and visionaries share. Owning the positive side of this label can lead us deeper into our gifted visions and fertile imaginations. When we look into the lives of any of the great people in history, we always find that they had quirks and eccentricities that earned them less than ideal labels from the societies in which they lived. Many famous artists and musicians were considered to be isolated loners or disruptive troublemakers, or sometimes both, yet these people altered history and contributed to the world an original vision or advances in our understanding of the universe. If we can remember this as we examine our own selves and the labels people use to describe us, we find that there is a bright side to any characterization. If you have been labeled, remember that all you have to do to see the positive side is to turn the label around. For example, you may be considered to be overly emotional, and the fact that you are perceived this way may make you feel out of control. But notice, too, the gifts of being able to feel and express your emotions, even in a world that doesn’t always encourage that. You might begin to see yourself as brave and open-hearted enough to stay alive to your feelings. You may also see that there are certain paths and professions in which this is a necessary ability. As you turn your label around, the light of your true nature shines to guide you on your way. google dailyom to subscribe to it..... I just thought that this was inspirational and wanted to share.
I like a certain story that illustrates this. It's somewhat paraphrased. There once was a poor farmer and one day, he awoke to find his only horse was gone. The villagers mourned the loss, for he had no money to get another one.The farmer just turned his prayer, saying, "We'll see what happens." The next morning, the village awoke to see the horse had returned w/ two stallions. The villagers rejoiced at his good luck. The farmer continued to turn his prayer wheel, only saying "We'll see what happens." His son began to ride one of the stallions and was thrown off, breaking his leg. The villagers cursed the farmer's bad luck, while he kept praying and said "We'll see what happens." The next day, soldiers came to the village and took all the young, healthy men for war, and it seemed most certain that most would not return. The farmer's son was bed-ridden and the soldiers left without him. The villagers, many of whom had their sons taken away, exclaimed that the farmer was blessed indeed. However, the farmer kept turning his prayer wheel w/ "We'll see what happens." The original would probably be better, as I couldn't find the story on the internet, but the message is the same. What seems like something good happening can easily become something bad and then back to good. I think a better approach to judging situations as good or bad is to remain somewhat neutral and wait to see what happens. After all, winning a new Corvette, which seems good, can become tragic, when the Corvette is crushed by a semi- you never know what might happen, and whether it is good or bad depends on your perspective. Peace and love
