Truth and enlightenment come in many forms from many sources. The other night I dined in a Chinese restaurant. When I had finished my meal the waiter brought the check and the traditional fortune cookie. I broke it open with anticipation. Ever since I was a boy I have had a curiosity about the words of oriental wisdom magically secreted inside the exotic little pastries. The message written on the small slip of paper I extracted was: Keep an open mind. I wondered why I had gotten that particular message. I felt I did not need the advice. I have always tried to be broad-minded about other points of view and about life in general. I do not like prejudice for any reason. I think I have an open mind – and yet I wondered if perhaps there was a lesson in the slogan that was eluding me. Later that evening, my mind drifted back to an experience I had had that very morning. As I lay in bed, half awake, I had thought of several situations that were currently paramount in my life and which troubled me. I had thought of them, one at a time, evaluating them and their significance to my life. As I relived the experience I suddenly realized that with each situation I had been concentrating on its negative aspects. I had been looking for the problems of each, imagining unpleasant and fearful outcomes. As I remembered that experience, the words on the slip of paper from the fortune cookie took on a new meaning. Keep an open mind. It said to me. Let your mind be open to the possibility that there are positive, enjoyable aspects to every task, every day, every activity. There is no reason to close your mind to all the good that is in every situation.
I now have a new maxim, courtesy of a fortune cookie: “Keep an open mind; let light in.” ---written by Joe Stierham |
