A ‘lucky-so-and-so’ was once a ‘not-so-lucky-so-and-so’ – an ‘unlucky-so-and-so’.

A ‘successful’ person was once a ‘failure’ – however you choose to define both those ambiguous terms.

Ultra-positive psychologists would argue that success begins in the heart, so a truly successful person is always a success, was always a success regardless of circumstances that confirm or deny this. I’m not so sure.

In fact, if my dream was to be an inventor, I’d probably invent ‘The Infinite Cynical Drive’!

Returning to the ‘lucky so-and-so-with-a-dream’, we know that their dream and resolve would have been tested time-and-time again. My friend has recently lost his sister. His belief is that the Universe tests us all – making us better people. The Infinite Cynical Drive in me doesn’t believe that but it is a belief that is helping him. The ‘lucky-so-and-so’ would once have been the ‘tested-time-and-time-again-so-and-so’. Setbacks are the precursor to success.

There’s a fault, however, with my Infinite Cynical Drive. It doesn’t help me much. It may be a protection against more disappointment. When I run it, it provides me with many chances to prove that the cynical way is correct! It’s self-enhancing! Let’s turn it off for today’s blog and return to the liberating thought of ‘once’.

Today is your ‘Once’.

It may be a happy, successful, wealthy, joyful, healthy, meaningful ‘Once’. If so, “Hurray!” Or is may be otherwise. What it is most certainly is is a ‘once’ – a moment in time en route to another moment in time. If you’re being tested, you can pass the test and the test will pass. Pass or fail, the test will pass.

I return to one of my favourite questions: “What would I rather have than this?” That’s easy to answer: “A good night’s sleep, more cashflow, more space, more health, more joy, more satisfaction…” It’s a long list because I know I don’t want ‘this’ where I am at the moment.

And there’s the second powerful word of the day: ‘moment’. Today is a ‘once’. Today is a ‘moment’. If I set a new direction towards what I’d rather have, I can say, “Once I used to sleep poorly…” “Once I didn’t have enough to make ends meet…” “Once I lived in chaos and mess…” You get the idea.

Let’s set our attention on what we’d rather have, and then play the ‘Once’ card for every moment that threatens to pull us down into cynicism. Then perhaps I can invent The Infinite Forwards Momentum Drive!

Lex

A moodscope member.