An Italian proverb says, "If you leave the old road for a new one, you know what you are leaving behind but not what you will find ahead."
This seems to advise you to stay put, because the unknown could be scary or deceitful. On the other hand, positive thinking encourages you to abandon old stuff (ideas, habits, maybe even your environment, if you feel the need for a change).
Are these two concepts in contrast? I don't believe they are. My opinion — and my experience — is that, at important crossroads in your life, you should follow your intuition and dare to step out of your old ways. If this possibility entered your mind, it means that there is something to it. It means that you have to take it into consideration because it could mark a positive shift in your well-arranged (or not-so-well-arranged) existence. But, be careful. Making a choice does not mean that you are going to be chained to it forever, as many seem to think.
You step onto the new path and do your best to make it work. But if, at a certain point, you realize that it was not the optimal decision, that it did not yield the result you had hoped for, you can still go back to the old road and ... try to make it work better. Let's never forget that we are free to decide what we want to do with our own lives. But wisdom must be our guide. We are not children who are allowed to change their minds at a whim. We are (hopefully) reasoning adults who, by now, should be able to discriminate between what is positive and what is not.
New stuff does not always — or necessarily — refer to either physical, material, or geographical changes. It may also be considered as a new interpretation of old stuff. Let us give a practical example. Imagine you made a life-changing choice. It took you courage, enthusiasm and trust. You enjoyed the change because you needed it.
Now, some time later, you realize that the "new" situation is kind of worn out. You feel that you could presently go back to your "old" location, circumstance or job ... and be fine with it.
Would you do this without hesitation, or would your decision be made difficult by doubts? You may be afraid that friends will judge you as indecisive. You might start doubting your capability of making up your mind once and for all.
But, you see, nothing needs to be once and for all. This is just another conditioning that human beings receive in the course of their lives. As everything changes in this world of ours, also your mind should be allowed to shift towards other directions, according to different situations. It does not mean that you are weak-willed; it only indicates that you are able to look at circumstances with new eyes, with a greater awareness, and make your choice accordingly. Remember that a tree branch that is not flexible will break when the blows of the wind become too strong.
The same might happen to you if you persist in remaining where you don't want to be anymore, in accepting a state of being that does not fulfill you any longer. Are you willing to face depression and a possible nervous breakdown just to show that you are firm, unmovable like a rock in your choices? Or are you wise enough to leave... law school and go on to become an ... interior decorator, if this what your heart insists on telling you?
— Elsa Franco Al Ghaslan, a Saudi English instructor and published author (in Italy), is a long-time scholar of positive thinking.
E-mail: [email protected]
Blog: recreateyourlifetoday.blogspot.com
Creative Thinking: Old stuff, new stuff
