Turn It Over

Are you superstitious? Even if you say you aren't, my guess is that you at least halt momentarily when you encounter a ladder across a sidewalk or see a black cat cross a road.

Some of the most notoriously superstitious people I know are baseball fans and players. It's no secret that I am a long time baseball fan so I share many superstitions about the game, things like - don't mention a no-hitter until the possibility is gone or it actually happens.  

This penchant for superstation also bleeds over into the rest of my life. One long held superstition I learned at an early age is picking up a found coin that is lying heads-up leads to good luck while a tails-up coin should be left on the ground to avoid back luck. As a result, I've left a lot of coins lying on the ground.

A year or so ago I came up with a solution to this problem. I still won't pick up a tails-up coin I see on the sidewalk, however, now I simply turn it over and leave some heads-up good luck for the next person who sees it. I know this sounds silly, because it is. But for some strange reason it makes me feel better.

So, what if we were to see our lives from this "turn it over" perspective? What if instead of trying to avoid the problems of our lives, our pain, hurt, sorrow, grief, and conflict we simply turn them over to see their other side?  In doing so we discover a fullness and wholeness in life that holds the things we perceive as negative and positive together in one experience, bringing depth, richness, and even peace to our lives. In a real sense we create our own good luck.

Turning over our problems to discover their wholeness not only brings peace to us, it also makes life better for those around us.  In a real sense we leave some good luck behind for the next person who comes along.

Whatever "problem" you face today or tomorrow, or that you are carrying around from the past, why not turn it over. You will probably be suprised, and relived, to see what's on the other side. There may even a be little good luck in store.