Sometimes I have difficulty finding things: my short-term memory gets clogged up with a million little details and I can’t always find what I’m looking for. It was like that with the fancy footless tights I bought while on holiday. I really loved the playful pattern on them and I got a lift wearing them when I was in a frivolous mood. But I mislaid them and, look as I might, I couldn’t locate them. Their loss wasn’t earth shattering – more of a mild annoyance.
Occasionally I wondered where I had put those pretty pantyhose. With the vivid colour splashed down them they should have leapt out at me as soon as I opened the drawer. I looked for a short while and then the memory of them sort of faded away and eventually I gave up the search and put them out of my mind.
Today when tidying up my socks and stockings, I picked up a balled-up pair of black tights and shook them out. Imagine my surprise when they unravelled to reveal row upon row of bright pink polka dots. They had been there all along! I had just been seeing them from the wrong side and assumed they were ordinary, run of the mill, boring black pantyhose. I thought with regret of the occasions I could have worn them and the fun I would have had being just a little bit outrageous.
I realised that this is what we do with our lives sometimes – we look at things from the wrong side and begin to forget about the colour, interest and excitement that is actually there just waiting to be accessed. We long for a brighter existence, but we sometimes forget about the resources that we already have at our disposal should we choose to use them. After a while we just assume that this is the way things will always be.
But there is no need to give up. Look on the bright side and get in touch with your lighter playful side. You already have what it takes to live a rich, full life.
What interests and passions have you put aside because you’ve forgotten how important they are to your sense of wellbeing?
How can you get back in touch with some of the things that make your life more worthwhile?
What will you do just for fun today?
