A man pulled up into a gas station in the country, and asked the attendant, “What are the people like in the next town up ahead?” The attendant said, “What were the people like in the town you just came from?” “Awful people,” the man responded. “Rude, cold, hostile, abrupt, unfriendly. They wouldn’t give me the time of day.” “Well,” said the attendant, “I’m sorry to say it, but you’re going to find exactly the same sort of people in the next town up ahead.” A bit later, another driver pulled in, heading in the same direction as the first. “What are the people like in the next town up ahead?” the second man asked. The attendant said, “What were the people like in the town you just came from?” “Wonderful people,” the second man responded. “Friendly, warm, helpful, patient, kind. They went out of their way to help a stranger.” “Well,” said the attendant, “I’m happy to tell you that you’re going to find exactly the same kind of people in the next town up ahead.”
Original Source Unknown
“Seek and ye shall” find takes on a whole new meaning within the context of this story. Yet isn’t it true that which we look for we find? I am always amazed at how I create and fulfill my own story. My perception decides what moves to the foreground, and what fades to the background as in the picture below. Which do you see the old woman or the young woman? Do you see a chin or a nose? The chin of the young woman is the old woman’s nose. Can you shift your perception? Once you can shift between the two you can in fact find both of the woman at will. So as in the story if I am looking for “wonderful people” I will in fact encounter “wonderful people” because I will be looking for them and they will become a figure in the foreground for me, while the rude clerk, or overworked waitress that forgets my side salad with lunch fades into the far distant background of my mind and day.
Consider that what you attend to grows in significance, impacts your day, your mood, and your quality of life. What will you choose to focus on today?
