The first few days of this year have certainly been informative. I have interacted with many of my clients and listened with great interest as they have shared with me their views of how our city, Calgary, and our province, Alberta, will fare economically over the next 12 months.

While  these folks have access to all the same information, it soon became apparent that a clear line had been drawn and that each individual person planted themselves on one side of the line and steadfastly argued that they had chosen the side where the truth prevailed.

The two sides were not separated by fact, but were, in fact, divided neatly by opposing perspectives of the same facts. People on one side firmly believed that the “truth” they gleaned from the facts represented the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Interestingly, those on the other side, felt exactly the same way about their truths.

What Will Happen? What Do You Expect?

Wayne Dyer taught us, “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change” and, almost a century earlier renowned British philanthropist, scientist and polymath Sir John Lubbock reminded us, “What we see depends mainly on what we look for.”

Approximately half of the people I have spoken with firmly stated their belief that we have, indeed, turned a corner and that the future now appears far brighter than it has at any time over the past four years. They discussed what they cumulatively described as the reappearance a “sense of optimism” among their friends, colleagues and business associates.

And firmly entrenched on the other side are those who shared with me their fears and concerns that 2020 was going to be yet another extremely challenging year, perhaps even more difficult than the last three. They described a “heavy pessimism” they shared with their friends, colleagues and business associates.

Conclusions Drawn from Same Information

Many of those I spoke with acknowledged watching the same media stories and interviews and reading the same financial articles and forecasts.

In other words, much of their information came from the same sources, so clearly their conclusions were not drawn from the information itself, but solely by the manner in which they individually interpreted the information.

Dr. Dyer and Dr. John Lubbock were absolutely correct in their assessments: we will always find the truth we look for.

The only truth is the truth we elect to serve as our truth.

A biblical phrase (Both Luke 11:9 and Matthew 7:7, to be precise) reminds us to “seek and ye shall find.” In these words lie a truth whose very power contains the pathway to the quality of every life.

When we look for joy and happiness, we will always find it; when we look for despair, it finds us fast.

Look for Joy and Find It

When we look for good things to happen, they invariably will, and when we look for bad things to happen, it is seldom a lengthy wait.

As 2020 begins its journey, it is beneficial to remind ourselves that our outlook will inevitably become our destiny and that while it is true that challenges and obstacles lie in each of our paths, how we view them will determine whether those obstacles and challenges defeat us or strengthen us.

The size of the challenge is determined solely by us and by how we choose to interpret the information we have.

It is wise to remember that every experience in life has only the meaning we choose to give it and whatever we seek, we will find.

It’s a new year. Let’s all search for perfect health, joy and success for all those around us as well as for ourselves.

Till we read again.