How you see each situation is not how it actually is. When people are speaking to you, you are listening through your negative future-prophesizing machine.
You aren’t listening to them. You are listening to what you are saying to yourself about what they are saying. Read that again. This is a disaster when it comes to attracting fulfilling life experiences, which are almost always related to cooperation. If you don’t believe me, imagine your life as completely perfect. Who are you sharing it with? Do you have a lover or a child in your perfect life? Good friends? Are you running a great company? Have good relationships with your team?
The fact that you are making things up about what people are saying to you makes you hard to deal with. It’s not just you, it’s everyone. Consider that you are not listening to anything anyone says. You are listening to your own voice in your head. Your doubts, your worries, your fears. This junk is mucking up everything and you are not truly being present to what is amazing in your life.
As you observe your Drunk Monkey and it’s foolish imaginings today, you become present to the greatness, the kindness, the good nature of people. Notice how, even today, people and situations seem different. Observe the Drunk Monkey making things up about people and situations and then let those thoughts go.
See the Drunk Monkey for what it is. “The Negative Future Prophesizing Machine!” Say to yourself, “How could I possibly know what is going on here? I’m imagining things. I’m committed to seeing the good in people. I know that I live a magical life and that things are starting to really turn out for me. This situation is a part of my upward cycle.”
Isn’t that liberating? Doesn’t that feel good? All you did was make something up that wasn’t a negative future. You made up a positive future. You are making things up anyway, why not make up things that make you feel good.
Author
Matthew Ferry