I saw it the moment I walked into the bookstore. Standing upright, featured prominently on the table of “Bargain Books,” a title greeted me and took my breath away. It was years ago, but even the memory of it leaves me inspired: a book so profound, it has lingered in my mind ever since.
The book was called: "Knitting with Dog Hair." It was a how-to book, full of patterns and pictures of things that could be knit out of dog hair.
My first thought was that it was the most disgusting thing I had ever seen. But there it was, on bold display, half price, in a national chain bookstore.
Suddenly, I had an “AHA!” moment. I thought, “If someone would publish THAT, then SURELY I could have a future as a writer.” Within a week, I had started writing my first book.
The idea continues to linger for me (more as a life metaphor than as a hobby). For years, I had a big, hairy dog and I was constantly sweeping up dog hair. It was an endless, thankless chore. A hassle. I remember wishing all that hair would just disappear.
Then I saw "Knitting with Dog Hair." It was an epiphany. Could it be? Somewhere in the world, someone could look at that same nasty, dirty hairball and see something completely different?
What if we could look at every hairy mess in our lives and see this kind of potential? What if we could take the ugly, nasty, discarded aspect of our world and our society, and weave them all into something soft and beautiful?
There is a precious, sacred part of us that gives us this choice. Will I see this hairball as a hindrance? Will I focus on my problems? Will I harp on what’s wrong and ugly and inconvenient? Or will I choose to see potential? Can I look at my inevitable messes and make something beautiful from them?
The difference is as simple as a subtle shift in perspectives. When we look at things differently, we can transform our negative opinions into something productive. It’s about making a conscious choice: How do you see the dog hair in your life? Do you complain that it’s nasty and disgusting? Or do you use it to knit sweaters?
Imagine what we could do as a community, as a nation, and as a global village if we only stopped complaining about what was wrong and began doing something with it. Imagine what it would be like if we could break out of our paradigm of negative judgments long enough to see the potential for beauty in all things.
When we can do this, our Divine nature is able to turn our mistakes into blessings. We can take every hardship, every betrayal, every well-intentioned mistake, and use it for good. We can turn our trash into treasure, our failure becomes our foundation for growth, our greatest fears can lead us to our greatest triumphs, and even our dog hair becomes the raw material for a new creation.
AFFIRMATION
Dear God, we know that no mistake, no character flaw or personality weakness can separate us from your Infinite Potential for good. This knowing helps us to forgive those who have caused us suffering or harm because we know that through Your Presence within us, we are able to use our interactions with each other to grow and heal and learn the Truth of your Infinite Love. Thank you, Spirit, for this unlimited potential.
As the founder of The What If Up Club, Mindy Audlin has brought the feelings and the physics of possibility to people around the world. The author of "What If" UP! A Simple Strategy for Expanding Your Potential, Mindy brings her passion and joie de vivre to every situation and challenge.