Do you treat life as a friend or a foe? Some people think the universe is a friendly place, while others seem to think it’s inhabited by aliens. At least unfriendly humans or unpleasant experiences. It’s amazing that every human being living on planet Earth sees life in their unique way. What does that tell you? What it tells me is that how I view life is my choice. And how I treat life is how life treats me.
If you live as if life is a foe, you wake up each day expecting the worst. You look around every corner expecting to get hit by a truck. You expect the boss to call you in to fire you rather than give you praise–or a raise. You pick up the phone thinking a friend or relative is sick or has died. You see life as an endless struggle against impossible odds. You’re always complaining and playing victim.
That’s actually how some people perceive life when they think it’s an unfriendly place. And you know how powerful your thoughts and expectations are. So, how much of what happens are you creating if you hold this expectation of doom and gloom? I’d say a fair amount.
Now, if you live as if life is a friend, you are open to positive experiences and have optimistic expectations. And you will draw more of these good things to you. And even if you don’t get exactly what you want, you will still see the universe as a friendly place and know there are good reasons why things turn out as they do. You will be awaiting the next good thing with grace and acceptance.
The amount of joy, happiness, and satisfaction you have in your life is dependent on how you treat life. This is the key to being happier–how you treat life! So why not treat life as if it were your friend. Choose to treat others as you would want them to treat you. Decide to see obstacles as opportunities. Start to see the glass as half full. See if you can be kinder to yourself and others, be more loving to yourself and others, and expect good things and look for the good in everything.
If you practice this regularly, yet find some times when you forget or get sidetracked by life’s challenges, take some time out to write in your journal. Focus on what’s working, what’s good in your life, what you would like more of. Feel the appreciation you have right now for what you are thankful for in your life–friends, family, health, your dog, your home, etc.
Close your eyes and imagine seeing the world as a friendly place. See people coming up to you and smiling and saying, “Hi, great to see you.” Imagine doing work you love and making a lot of money. See yourself at your peak health, exercising joyfully. All you have to do is start to imagine, feel, and then believe that the universe is friendly and you will have that experience. How you treat life is how life treats you, so start treating it right!
