Life is All About the Pool You Play In

Thanks to Stephen Pastis and his Pearls Before Swine comic of 12-10-2023 for inspiring this post. In it, a character encounters a group of happy people who are playing in the “Pool O’ Goodness”. He then points to where he came from “the Pool O’ Twitter Land” a pit where “the whole world is bad” (he used “Twitter” in the comic, so I am sticking with it. Sorry, all you sticklers, who ironically are now playing in that pool). That got me thinking about how our outlook on life determines our path.

His message is clear – we have the power to choose which pool we will play in (a similar message as in my “Feed the Ducks, Not the Geese” post of 12/06/2021) that resonates louder and louder each day as the craziness around us increases. The operative phrase is “the power to choose”. Nothing in life is good or bad until we assign meaning to it, so it is our outlook that determines good or bad, not the events that occur. A tough notion to wrap our brains around at times but vital for survival and growth.

I have to admit that I am more of a pessimist than an optimist, but I am learning. Maybe it’s the wisdom of age that has enabled me to move more in a positive direction, or maybe just acceptance that I can’t control what life tosses at me so I might as well enjoy the ride. I’m not always in the “Pool O’ Goodness” but I strive to be there more often and just the act of trying to change my perspective helps. Even something as simple as smiling or laughing when something I don’t like happens, pushes me to think positively. And getting my new hip has helped my outlook too as I am getting stronger again instead of weaker. That positive physical trajectory is having a huge impact on my mental state.

A lot has to do with your general mood, your outlook on life, and especially if your mind and heart are open or closed. Those who are closed are destined to wallow in the “Pool O’ Twitter Land”; seeing only what they want to see and getting their information from sources that feed their worldview while dismissing everything else as wrong, evil, or fake. On the flip side, those who are open are usually found in the “Pool O’ Goodness” thanks to being receptive to ideas that are different from theirs and inclined to not only focus on the good around them but also to live in reality rather than creating a one-dimensional world that protects their narrow views.

Is the water in your pool clear, cloudy, or downright muddy? My pool tends to be cloudy at times and needs skimming and some chlorine once in a while to clear it up. I hope you are swimming in clear water or at least moving through any murkiness to get there. Take it from a born pessimist, the clearer the water, the better life is.

Hip Update: Almost 3 weeks with my new parts and all is good. Walking better than I have in 2 years – almost no limp already - and getting better every day. Making sure I do the PT exercises each day to gain strength and mobility. The difference is amazing, and I am looking forward to continued improvement.

www.RetiredandInspiredat55.com  1-15-2024