Talking about how we experience life… we each have a different filter according to our experiences, we see things with a different lens, and, sometimes what we think to be true is in fact an illusion.
I remember on a trip to Peru, I was struck by the generosity of the people I met who, to my western eyes, lived in chaos and had nothing, I saw them as having a hard life. I now see that they didn’t stop to think about whether it was hard or easy, they accepted how it was and got on with it… with a heart full of generosity. They may have wanted more, they made what they had work for them. I remember being welcomed into a home in the mountains, the family sharing what they had, the woman’s eyes positively sparkling…she had joy in her eyes and an open heart.
It’s the same here in Vanuatu. After two back-to-back cyclones, a national disaster was declared, homes were destroyed, roads collapsed, gardens flooded…and within a few days I saw locals laughing and singing as they came together and helped clear away debris. What else to do, one laughed, life is short, be happy. We worry too much…myself included at times!
What these people showed me is that we create our reality, we choose who we are and how we are and, when we accept what is, even a disaster, we can find joy in it. Adjusting the way we look at things and our attitude can change our experience. Instead of demanding what we want when we want, we can accept what is and focus on what’s possible now, what we can create together, having a laugh, even during a struggle… respecting each other and our environment.