Fun fact: my boyfriend and I now have matching tattoos.
He’d been thinking about the concept for years. He decided it was time. I connected him with a great artist I know.
Then came the twist: “Want to get it with me?”
There’s not many “other-peoples’-tattoo-ideas” I can really imagine getting on board with.
But this one? I spent about 10 seconds deciding before I said “Yes.”
What was so compelling about it?
The elegance…and the philosophy. His vision boils down the core principles I’ve been learning to live by for the last decade into a single word.
Good.
Whatever happens, whatever life brings, that’s the answer.
It’s a very Stoic point of view. Marcus Aurelius wrote, “Something happens to you. Good. It was meant for you by nature, woven into the pattern from the beginning.”
But it’s more than a Stoic idea.
It’s deciding to trust that everyone and everything is an ally for your growth.
It’s believing in the total benevolence of the universe in every fractal.
It is, in other words, faith.
You don’t need to believe in any particular being or deity or religion to start trying this idea on.
I sure didn’t when I started dabbling in thinking this way thanks to two of my favorite books, The Artist’s Way and The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership.
It just requires openness to try the experiment. See what happens if you start orienting this way.
I recommend you start playing this game with small stuff.
They’re out of lemon bundt cakes at Panera. Good.
A client’s only availability this week is during the fitness class you’re just getting committed to. Good.
Then raise the stakes a little:
You have to wait an extra 24 hours for a medical test with high consequences. Good.
You’re not sure how you’re going to pay all the bills this month…again. Good.
And then raise them again:
Your ex cheated on you and broke your heart and they don’t even seem a little bit sorry. Good.
A loved one died suddenly and you didn’t get to say goodbye like you wish you could have. Good.
You can keep raising the stakes from there, but that’s pretty advanced work.
Start with the small. Seriously.
Important caveat: Don’t gaslight yourself. Don’t bypass the feelings.
I’m not saying you’re going to FEEL good when these things happen. You’re going to be sad or angry or terrified or disappointed or anxious. Of course you are. That’s called being human.
But if you’re trying this game, you’re going to think “good.”
You’re going to let it be a question. “How could that be true?”
A leap of faith.
A rope to hold onto in the stormy dark.
A crack in the certainty of your misery.
We start seeing what we look for.
And when we believe our pain has meaning, we can endure vastly longer.
Can I prove that “good” is true? No.
But it sure is a beautiful way to live.
And I love seeing it on my arm and my beloved’s every day.
Goodly yours,
Rachel
PS – If living this way is intriguing but seems far off, that makes sense. This is a radical perspective. Yet it utterly changes the game. If you want support seeing how taking charge of your thoughts can move you into a powerful state and create unimaginably powerful results, hit reply and let’s talk. Not later. Not someday. Hit reply now.
