A Shift in Perception

There is old Zen story that a blogging friend once shared with me about a farmer whose only horse gets out of the barn and runs away. To most people this would be considered bad news and would be judged very negatively because the horse was a pivotal part of the farmers’ financial life. But, a few days later the horse returned with a wild horse. They had bonded and now the farmer had two horses. This was the good news and could be perceived and judged with optimism.The farmer asked his only son to train this wild horse. In the process the boy was thrown off and broke his leg. Once again this was an unfortunate encounter that was judged negatively.A few more days went by and the King’s brigade came to the man’s farm to recruit the young boy for a battle against an invading nation in which he probably would have been killed. Because the boy had broken his leg they did not take him. This was great news!This story shows how we cannot predict the future. Often times, results in a changed judgment or a point of view can alter a moment from suffering into a moment of beneficial consequences. Life is made easier when we shift our perception from negative thoughts to positive ones!I share this story because lately I find myself experiencing some negative setbacks, to then (in a miraculous turn of events) turning out to be the hand of Grace watching out for me in the future. I love a famous quote by Marilyn Monroe, “Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”Allow the Divine to guide you. Don’t get stagnated on a negative perception. Allow positive thoughts to carry you into a healthy perception. You might never know what is around the corner!Mucho Love...M.A.P.