Walking through the park this morning, I met one of my park friends – someone I only see on my way to office each day.  This is a man who consistently greets me with a hug, an exuberant smile, and a story about something good that has happened to him recently.  This morning, he said, “When something goes bad, take a moment to look at the many more things that have gone well, even in that same day.”  Then, he was on his way to wherever he goes to work, leaving me with the usual smile I have on my face after an encounter with these special people in the park.

As I continued on my way, I realized that he was saying something that I do, and that I believe in deeply.  It’s not that I don’t acknowledge the awful stuff that comes up in life.  It’s more that I also take time to pay attention to the things that come along that support, delight, and serve me, even in the smallest ways. 

In a world where there is so much uncertainty, disagreement, and difficulty for people, it’s easy to see many “bad” things – things that are going wrong in some way or another, given your particular point of view.  Because of this, it’s possible for some people to feel overwhelmed, helpless, or bogged down by it all if there’s not also room for taking in the many things that are “good”, that are going right.  The experience of things going right and going wrong, being good and being bad, is universal.  Everyone participates, in their unique ways, in celebrating and anguishing over events in their lives and in the world, even as the sources of those responses may be vastly different between individuals.  Depending on any given person’s point of view, the same situation can be perceived as either good or bad. 

For this week’s experiment, I invite you to pay attention to the number of things that are “good” on any given day when you have an experience that’s “bad”.  As you do this, remember that you’re not seeking to deny or ignore what’s “bad”.  It’s important to fully acknowledge whatever is true for you at any given time.  But, remember that good or bad, it’s only part of the picture and, for this experiment, you’re giving yourself an opportunity to notice that it’s very rare for things to be all bad, without anything good in sight.

As with all experiments, engage this one with curiosity and a willingness to notice what quality of thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations emerge as you include the “good” in with whatever may be “bad.”