As I sat on my deck watching the two mule deer bucks on my neighbor’s lawn fighting it out and having a standoff, it made me think of several possibilities as to why they were doing what they were doing:
- Was this territorial?
- Did it have to do with a disagreement?
- Were they standing up for someone else?
- Were they fighting for their personal desires?
- Were they fighting over someone?
- Was it pride related?
- Were emotions running too high?
- Was it painful?
- Was it pointless?
- Would the winner feel like a victor?
Yet even as those thoughts ran through my head and I pondered what was going on, most of my thoughts went back to all kinds of real life experiences and outcomes. I could place myself in this situation going “head to head” with my own challenges and sometimes even conflicts with others, I reflected back onto my own life and my own outcomes. “What Story Do You Tell Yourself?”
Do you find yourself doing this too? Were you going through the bullet points and seeing yourself in this situation and wondering your outcomes? Can you see yourself in this and visualize yourself and how you handle the fights or standoffs and do you feel the emotions?
I could also see the beauty. We live in the mountains, just barely out of the Salt Lake Valley. We have deer in our yard on a daily basis. Yes, there are times that they are a nuisance; eating my flowers, plants and trees, scaring my fish when they drink from my ponds, having a standoff with my toy poodle as well as when they try to play tag with my car on our quiet little street. But their beauty is magnificent! I love being able to watch them and enjoy their wonder. After living here for over 20 years, I had not ever witnessed them in an actual
fight, or having this happen. I have watched them thousands of times, and this was a first. My husband ran to
grab the video recorder and tripod and captured this experience. Bill immediately began creating the story of what was happening. He had a complete commentary of those two buck and their possible conversation. This is our video for you this week. It is witty, clever, cunning and expressive. But most of all, it is FUN.
Of all the things that came to me from this experience, fun was not one of them. Laughter and happiness were not first on my list, but it was the first thing that Bill went to! He immediately went to creating the story of what was happening and he made it fun. He made it stand out and he surrounded it with happiness!
“Happiness comes from valuing, appreciating and acknowledging what we have, rather than focusing on what is missing.” ~Kris Barney.
It is up to you to find the happiness. You have the opportunity to write your own story. You decide. You are at choice. No matter what is happening, you are writing the story. Why not make if phenomenal and fun rather than stressful and a tragedy? Think about it, we are writing the story in our mind all the time. We come up with our own story when someone does not return our call or text.We create a story around someone taking advantage of us or how they cut us off in traffic as well as when someone is staring at us. Yet, we rarely if ever know exactly what someone is thinking or what the real story is behind the glance or why they did not return the call or what is really going on for them. We just merely tell ourselves the story, from our perspective. In
the times that I have made up my own story, when I have come to know the truth of what had been happening, it was completely different than the story I had told myself. Our natural tendency is to go to worst possible scenario, which is usually much worse than the actual truth, so why not just choose to create it differently? We create the story, so why not make it full of happiness and joy? Why not have it be cunning, clever and fun?
It is a proven fact that those who have laughter and happiness in their life are healthier. You can google it. We have been told it for years that laughter is the best medicine! There are numerous studies out there about the effects of laughter and happiness and your health. It is a proven fact that you are healthier if you are happier, so why would you ever want anything but happiness?
As I began this article for you, I was very vulnerable in telling you all of the things I thought of and where I could see all these life lessons and how comparable it could be. Yet, when I chose the lesson to be learned, it is one that I myself need to heed more often. I get to turn more to the happiness. I get to choose what my own stories look like and write them with more happiness. I truly want you to see that for yourself as well. Where can you find the happiness and joy? Where can you smell the roses or see through the rose colored glasses? Are you willing to do it differently and have a different outcome? Because I promise you it will be worth it!
Watch our short little funny video this week and remember to find the joy in your journey, the happiness in your heart. Remember “What Story Do You Tell Yourself?”