Being Average

 

This morning, it occurred to me that I am a mix and I am flavored by everything that has ever happened to me and all that I do. We all tend to become an average of our environment. This, in no way, means that anyone is average per se. It means that we only have incredible flavor if we’ve included incredible ingredients in our lives.

If you travel, the sum of your experience changes and traveling actually changes you. I did not understand travel when I was younger. I would read about someone embarking on a costly voyage and I would think about the things they could have purchased with the money they blew on their trip. In my view, at that time, it seemed travelers were spending all of that money and effort for just a few days of joy. But then, I began to travel and I began to see the lasting impact traveling was having on my life. I must be an average of what I have witnessed in life. Seeing incredible landscapes, oceans, mountains and all that nature offers, my experience has heightened my awareness and traveling has changed my life.

There are many other experiences that can change your overall average. Good, personal relationships change you for the better. How you entertain yourself is a big deal. Watching the news is usually unhelpful. Good music is huge. Seeing musicians live is a very good idea whenever possible. Purposefully immersing yourself in scenes where others encourage your pleasure is a positive way to raise your average. Sports are great for the same reason. If you can enjoy the competition without being moved by defeat, any kind of sport has the potential to increase your joy. Entertaining others can boost your sense of involvement and it can leave you feeling happy.

How you respond to others will have a profound effect on your own experience. If you go to work and find yourself judging and blaming coworkers, you’ll begin to lose energy. Being angry and getting even with others only works by lowering your own vibration to the place where others affect you. We don’t always recognize this, but when we allow anger to foster feelings, we are allowing those feelings to lower our joy.

Think of ignorance as an ignore-dance and ignore every would-be thief of your joy. With your attention, you are offering your happiness. To give your attention to a negative person or a negative circumstance, is to simultaneously give your joy to that person or event. Therefore, even when there is a crisis, it is best to give your attention to the good, the improving, the light and any upside you can discover. This is when the ignore-dance is not easy.

Physical pain and bodily illness is sometimes almost impossible to ignore; and it is not always best to ignore pain or sickness, but the dance can help you to do your best with your body, without giving all of your attention to the problem. Remind yourself that there is hope that your body might improve and turn your focus back to that hope as often as possible. Having a great attitude about physical pain, illness or suffering of any kind, does not always mean that the source of the trouble will go away; but the best attitude will contribute to your overall joy, and joy has a healing effect.

There are certain things happening to you, and other things you happen to do; all of which will turn out best if you face them with Love in your heart and Joy on your mind.

Again, it is important to increase the averages in your life. Travel, meditate, enjoy nature, Love others, give joy whenever possible. Avoid negative people, negative words and negative stories as much as you can. Dance through any negative situation or circumstance by turning your attention to any good you can find in them.

Finally, attainment is overrated and gratitude is underrated. Instead of focusing on what you don’t have and want, focus on what you have or have had and be glad. Thankfulness raises the level of your lock-chamber and prepares you for increase. If you are not grateful for what you already have or have had, you are not ready for more.

We are all average; the average of all we include in our experience.

 

 

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