The Universe Rewards Those Who Are Content

My therapist said this once and it stuck with me. What she meant by it was, if you are constantly in search of something, you fail to notice what is.

In one of my favorite books of recent years, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Levin, one of the characters is described as always loving what he has (no spoilers, I promise). The fruit in his hand is his favorite fruit, to paraphrase. I found this admirable but for me, often unattainable. Instead, I’m starting by asking myself, what even is the fruit in my hand? What am I holding, what is around me? What do I notice?

When you aren’t constantly looking for one particular thing, you will notice real possibilities. Have you ever gone clothes shopping for something very specific? And for some reason you can never find that specific item of clothing even though you swear you’ve seen it a million times when you weren’t in search of it?

If luck is when preparation meets opportunity, then noticing is the constant on the path to luck. Once you start to notice, yes you may become more grateful. You’ll also become more aware of the things you really like and the things you don’t. The specific things that put you in a peaceful mood or an irritated one. And, you’ll start to see actual opportunities instead of just daydreaming about the perfect opportunities.