There is Nothing Better behind the Shed Door

Today a message kept coming through to me in different forms.

“Work with what you have, here and now it is all there is”

First up, I was talking to a friend about a weight-loss regime.

We chatted about how depressing restrictive diets are.

How life feels over when you are told you can no longer eat your favorite foods or indulge in the drinks you are accustomed to.

I guess that is why ‘diets’ don’t generally work – you focus so much on what you can’t have until it does your head in and you simply HAVE to have it!

Why is it so hard to focus on what you could have, or what you already have?

Why are human beings so inclined to want more or something different?

Giving up eating a bag of chips a day and a bottle of champagne a week could lead to tonnes of energy, glowing skin, a trim waistline and a new zest for life.

Why is it then if we were told to stop doing this the  majority of us would choose to dwell on what we cannot have,  instead of what we could possibly gain?

Focusing on what we will gain by giving up something, or focusing on what we already have and appreciating it doesn’t come naturally.

I was reinforced the message today watching Monte.

After playing ‘silly buggers’ together for a while in the backyard we wandered into the back shed.

I discovered a container full of toys that my sister had given me for Monte.

I took a heap of them and put them on the grass for him to play with. There were heaps of different ones in there – little people, cars, trains – the works.

He played with them for a bit and as I closed the shed door – I saw something shift in Monte.

He ran to the door and screamed “More!”

(this is so not our shed!)

My initial reaction was “I just gave you a heap! There are no more!”

This made him angry, desperate even.

“Toys!” he screamed at me tugging furiously on the door handle.

“You cannot go in there!” I said ” There are no more toys in there!”

He threw himself onto the ground.

I changed tact immediately.

I  realised if I kept focusing on “No you can’t go in the shed” he would become completely consumed with going into the shed.

Toddler behavior that we can find so frustrating, really is not too different from our own behavior if we be honest.

Just like if we are told “No you cannot eat chips” we become obsessed with eating chips.

I turned to the new toys on the grass.

“Have you seen these little people with the hats on?” I asked

“All of them are wearing hats!” I said as though this was the most exciting news ever.

Shed door forgotten.

“Wow!’ he screamed and went over to play with his little people.

I realised at this moment that removing the focus on what he couldn’t have and getting him to appreciate what he already has was the essence of life.

Why are we always so consumed with what might be ‘behind the shed door’?

Why do we think the rest of the toys at the bottom of the container will somehow be better than the toys we already have waiting to play with us?

Why do we always want the bag of chips full of saturated fat when the apple and the green tea will have us jumping out of our skin?

Next time you are lured into wanting something just because you think you ‘can’t', do a 360 degree  turn from the shed door and look back onto the grass.

Look at what is there already, look at the possibilities of what you might gain now, and in the future, by turning your back on the shed door.

Have a really good look.

See! There are fun little guys with hats on just waiting to be played with. They were there ALL ALONG!

The magical container inside only has spiders and a few broken toys in it.

The secret to your life being behind the shed door is one big fat illusion.

Now stop trying to jimmy the door open and let us all get on with it!