Recently someone stole my phone. They literally walked into my office and decided they needed my phone more than I did.
I was angry. Then frustrated because of the hassle that it would cause in my day. The truth is it is just a phone, it could have been so much worse. The thing that bothers me is that I lost pictures and content. Everything else can be replaced. I am glad no one was hurt…yet. 😉
Now what?
I consider myself having an amazing life. I have nothing to complain about. But as soon as this happened I felt threatened. Some of that “the world is great” thinking was jeopardized. My thought process see-sawed between love and compassion and becoming Dirty Harry. For those of you born after 1985 this reference may elude you. Just know that Dirty Harry liked to take the law into his own hands with a big gun at the end of it.
Now think about how experiencing events like these on daily basis can skew your outlook on life?
Should I be jaded and think that all people are bad?
Some are bad but most are not. I don’t know the guy who stole my phone so I can’t say if he is a bad guy. It is not for me to decide who is good or bad. I believe his actions towards me were bad. He stole my property. People do some pretty crazy things in extreme situations.
Think about how far you would go to provide and protect for your family? Like I said maybe he needed more than I did.
I believe…
Here are my beliefs.
I think people are inherently good.
I treat people as if they’re good, unless proven otherwise. I know some may say that I am being ignorant and in some situations borderline dangerous. Peace of mind is very important to me. If I walked around thinking that people were always out to get me I would have no peace of mind. I refuse to live that way. That doesn’t mean I won’t prepare because I don’t think anything bad will happen.
I choose to live in a world of possibilities, a world where every one has a chance at becoming the greatest and grandest version of themselves. To be clear, I don’t believe anyone is entitled to it. I believe if you want it, you must take actions towards creating the life you want.
I am not God and as such I can’t control everything that happens to me and those I love. I can however control the way I react to my circumstances. Auschwitz survivor, Viktor Frankl said it best,
“the last of the human freedoms, to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
I want to thank everyone for your support. I have received so much help, offers for phones, and genuine compassion. I am extremely grateful.
Live each day with purpose and appreciate the real important things in life.
Cheers,
AC
PS – It is amazing how much I depended on that phone. In a world where everything is instant, it feels so weird having to wait until I get home or to the office to be able to call, text, or email someone. This experience has definitely taught me how much the technology was using me. Technology is asset only if you can use it and not the other way around. I feel that it is important to learn from all your experiences, good or bad. If you can do that, you can take something useful out any circumstance that will serve you. Just a thought. 😉
PPS – Thanks again for being in my life and having the interest to spend your time reading my writing. Truly an honor.
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