One of my many monthly rituals is sitting down to read the variety of magazines I subscribe to (take a look here). The beauty of subscribing beyond saving money is that you never know when they will arrive exactly, and therefore, when they do, it is a nice surprise to see in the mailbox at the end of the day.
One of the magazines I enjoy reading for staying on top of the most recent cultural news is Vanity Fair. The editor Graydon Carter always offers a letter full of intriguing ideas to ponder (did you read his most recent one in the November ’16 issue? yikes!), but I will admit openly I start in the back of the magazine. Readers of Vanity Fair will know exactly why I do this, and if you begin to read this magazine, I have a feeling you will make this a habit of yours as well. Why? The Proust Questionnairre. Every celebrity is or person of interest has the potential to be tapped to answer the standardized list of questions, but as per expectation, they each answer it uniquely. (The Barefoot Contessa recently was the chosen for October’s issue as her new cookbook was about to be released).
The most recent person to answer The Proust Questionnaire was The Daily Show’s new host Trevor Noah, and it was his answer to the question, “What is your motto?” that struck me immediately and prompted me to write today’s Why Not . . . ? post. His answer: “Everything is helping you.”
As I began to ponder this possibility, I came up with a question, “What if . . . ? and finished the thought with all of the frustrating, confusing and even uncertain (possibly good events) that just didn’t make sense as to why they happened. Then I found a positive reason each would be helping me as I navigate through life. Below is a list of a few of the full statements I came up with. I encourage you to share one of your own “What If . . . ?” statements in the comments.
What if . . . every time you heard “no” when you wanted to hear “yes”, it was enabling you to enjoy and partake in something even more in alignment with your definition of contentment?
What if . . . you weren’t meant to realize your dreams until later so that you might appreciate them all the more?
What if . . . the job interview you thought you aced actually was the warm-up to help you be über prepared for the job opportunity that would become available just around the corner and your previous experience enabled you to successfully acquire what you desired?
What if . . . the childhood you wished you had wouldn’t have given you the gift of becoming a better person to your own children?
What if . . . the pain you felt cultivated a well of empathy so vast you became able to relate to anyone in any circumstance?
What if . . . you weren’t gifted athletically in order for your artistic talents to flourish?
What if . . . the life you thought you wanted hasn’t materialized because you the universe knows you will be happier once you listen to yourself and follow the life that was meant for you?
What if . . . the unthinkable hurtful comments were made to help you recognize who is truly believes in diversity, acceptance and equality?
What if . . . all the trials you have experienced were in fact “training” that you might be able to be successful against an believably difficult challenge you will encounter?
What if . . . the unexpected surprises and moments of luck were gifts made especially for you?
Now you try it . . .
What if . . . [insert anything that you have been pondering that you cannot make sense of: challenges, expected success, etc. and then describe how this event could possibly be helping you as you move through life]?
There are a variety of different ideologies any one of us may ascribe to when it comes to making sense of why what happens in our lives takes place, but I found Trevor Noah’s short and sweet life motto to be a breath of fresh air that I have chosen to carry with me. And each time I run this statement through my mind, my heart lifts a bit, the corners of my mouth begin to curl upward and I cannot help but think that this think called life is a pretty amazing journey and I am going to continue to strive forward to my best each and every day. Are you with me?
~View the entire editorial with Eva Herzigova in Vogue Paris’ March 2016 issue here.
from The Simply Luxurious Life®
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