With God all things are possible.
Con dios todas las cosas son posible.
Matthew 19.26
These words are meant to be reassuring. Personally, I find the whole idea overwhelming. All things are possible. Ok. I’ll get right on it. Thing is, when faced with all things all the time, all of them always possible, I am hard pressed to focus on the one or two things that apply to my life.
In my mind I see an enormous ball made up of all sorts of things crumpled together. They are smushed and smashed into a ball making machine then released into the universe to float and gloat, daring me to pick one recognizable topic to address. The result is that nothing gets done. I send out that message that I know that all things are possible and the probably includes my ‘issue’ and hope to goodness that things work out for the best.
Con dios todas las cosas son posible.
Matthew 19.26
These words are meant to be reassuring. Personally, I find the whole idea overwhelming. All things are possible. Ok. I’ll get right on it. Thing is, when faced with all things all the time, all of them always possible, I am hard pressed to focus on the one or two things that apply to my life.
In my mind I see an enormous ball made up of all sorts of things crumpled together. They are smushed and smashed into a ball making machine then released into the universe to float and gloat, daring me to pick one recognizable topic to address. The result is that nothing gets done. I send out that message that I know that all things are possible and the probably includes my ‘issue’ and hope to goodness that things work out for the best.
But as Linus in the Peanuts comic strip tells us, “Hoping to goodness is not theologically sound.” It’s not sound because ‘goodness’ is vague and subjective; goodness is in the eye of the beholder. True affirmative prayer requires trust and focus and being overwhelmed is detrimental to that process. Thus this wonderful line is reduced to the status of empty platitude; it sounds nice, and it is comforting in the short term. But if it does not touch your heart, if you don’t really believe it, what good is it, really?
Which is why I was so taken with the plaque hanging on the gift shop wall: Con dios todas las cosas son posible.
There is a difference of two word, one article to be precise. (It shouldn’t escape you that in English we use the words ‘thing’ and ‘article’ interchangeably.) The Spanish version says ‘All the things are possible.’ See what that does? It immediately separates all the things. They are individual items floating in a sky of blue just ripe for the picking. Each thing, item, idea, thought, can be selected or rejected, focused or blurry. No longer are we burdened with the goings on of the entire Universe. We are allowed to take a small slice of our personal universe and focus on that.
“With God all things are possible” has long been one of my favorite affirmations, but it was often just a saying. The Spanish version spoke to my heart. I bought the plaque and it is currently hanging on the wall in my office. The English version is a command: “all things are possible, now go out there and get results!” The Spanish version is almost a question: All these things are possible, which do you choose?”
This may seem like nit-picking, but the difference between the two translations is important. If an affirmation does not speak to you, if you do not for one second believe any part of it, you will be spouting empty air. If you do not trust what you are saying, or if it becomes rote, with not heart, then you are wasting your breath. Yes, maybe you are engaging in positive thinking but is it getting you anywhere?
In my mind there is a difference between so called positive thinking and affirmative thinking. Positive thinking has become a hugely mainstream idea and had been watered down to the point of almost being useless. It is often ridiculed because people don’t really understand what is. This is why I use like the idea of affirmative thinking. Affirmative thinking is a spiritual system that allows the practitioner to move forward in life with confidence and trust.
Here’s and example of the difference between positive thinking and affirmative thinking: today as I sat down to write, a group of city workers showed up to do some work on the intersection right outside my window. Now if I were to engage in what is currently considered positive thinking, I would have started affirming that the jack hammer would break down and go away or that the City would decide they’d made a mistake and should be working in another part of the neighborhood. In other words, I would be trying change the circumstances; I would be trying to change something outside myself. But this is not possible: I can’t change what is happening outside my window and since my focus would be on trying to control something outside my control, I wouldn’t get any writing done.
I know that I cannot change anything outside myself; all I can do is manage my own reactions and responses. When I heard the trucks arrive and saw the men blocking off the street and setting up a detour, I was really irritated. My office is the corner room overlooking the intersection and I knew there was going to be lots of noise. My first thought was that I would have to vacate the premises for the week. After stewing over my tea I decided to heck with them, I wasn’t going to let this get to me. So I went up to my office, closed the windows, turned up music, and set to work. Soon I became so engrossed in my work that the jackhammer became just another back ground noise.
I could have let this outside activity run and ruin my day. I could have spent my day throwing empty affirmations at the situation and trying to change circumstances. I decided, rather, to affirm my own place in my own universe and to continue on with my day. I alway listen to music when I write, anyway, and the mornings have been very warm so I probably would have closed the windows as well.
In affirmative thinking mode I looked for all the ways to work inside the situation. I did not deny what was happening, I looked for the good. And once I got over my irritation, I consciously decided not to let the noise bother me. It was an experiment and it worked. I have written this entire blog listening to my own music with an underlay of the Jackhammer Tango rattling in the background.
I think it went pretty well, don't you?
Which is why I was so taken with the plaque hanging on the gift shop wall: Con dios todas las cosas son posible.
There is a difference of two word, one article to be precise. (It shouldn’t escape you that in English we use the words ‘thing’ and ‘article’ interchangeably.) The Spanish version says ‘All the things are possible.’ See what that does? It immediately separates all the things. They are individual items floating in a sky of blue just ripe for the picking. Each thing, item, idea, thought, can be selected or rejected, focused or blurry. No longer are we burdened with the goings on of the entire Universe. We are allowed to take a small slice of our personal universe and focus on that.
“With God all things are possible” has long been one of my favorite affirmations, but it was often just a saying. The Spanish version spoke to my heart. I bought the plaque and it is currently hanging on the wall in my office. The English version is a command: “all things are possible, now go out there and get results!” The Spanish version is almost a question: All these things are possible, which do you choose?”
This may seem like nit-picking, but the difference between the two translations is important. If an affirmation does not speak to you, if you do not for one second believe any part of it, you will be spouting empty air. If you do not trust what you are saying, or if it becomes rote, with not heart, then you are wasting your breath. Yes, maybe you are engaging in positive thinking but is it getting you anywhere?
In my mind there is a difference between so called positive thinking and affirmative thinking. Positive thinking has become a hugely mainstream idea and had been watered down to the point of almost being useless. It is often ridiculed because people don’t really understand what is. This is why I use like the idea of affirmative thinking. Affirmative thinking is a spiritual system that allows the practitioner to move forward in life with confidence and trust.
Here’s and example of the difference between positive thinking and affirmative thinking: today as I sat down to write, a group of city workers showed up to do some work on the intersection right outside my window. Now if I were to engage in what is currently considered positive thinking, I would have started affirming that the jack hammer would break down and go away or that the City would decide they’d made a mistake and should be working in another part of the neighborhood. In other words, I would be trying change the circumstances; I would be trying to change something outside myself. But this is not possible: I can’t change what is happening outside my window and since my focus would be on trying to control something outside my control, I wouldn’t get any writing done.
I know that I cannot change anything outside myself; all I can do is manage my own reactions and responses. When I heard the trucks arrive and saw the men blocking off the street and setting up a detour, I was really irritated. My office is the corner room overlooking the intersection and I knew there was going to be lots of noise. My first thought was that I would have to vacate the premises for the week. After stewing over my tea I decided to heck with them, I wasn’t going to let this get to me. So I went up to my office, closed the windows, turned up music, and set to work. Soon I became so engrossed in my work that the jackhammer became just another back ground noise.
I could have let this outside activity run and ruin my day. I could have spent my day throwing empty affirmations at the situation and trying to change circumstances. I decided, rather, to affirm my own place in my own universe and to continue on with my day. I alway listen to music when I write, anyway, and the mornings have been very warm so I probably would have closed the windows as well.
In affirmative thinking mode I looked for all the ways to work inside the situation. I did not deny what was happening, I looked for the good. And once I got over my irritation, I consciously decided not to let the noise bother me. It was an experiment and it worked. I have written this entire blog listening to my own music with an underlay of the Jackhammer Tango rattling in the background.
I think it went pretty well, don't you?