Creating Your Own Reality

Technically, I have failed in my BE(w)DA* efforts. Thursday I worked, but I did not blog. There is a valid reason though. Thursday was the in-house workshop for the Marshall County Public Library, which meant no blogging time for Miss Tammy.

At said workshop we spent the better part of the morning being told that we create our own realities in our head and should just lie to ourselves until we believe the world (and our jobs) is all rainbows and sunshine. To a certain extent, I believe this. Actually, I practice this on a regular basis. I choose to believe that straightening books is fun, which makes that aspect of my job not only tolerable, but a pleasant experience. I choose to believe that people want my opinion on what they should be reading, which makes it easier for me to approach someone and help them find a book. I choose to believe that Jensen Ackles is madly in love with and stalking me via my TV on Thursday nights, which makes me happy and content. I choose to believe I am sane, which keeps me from being locked up in a padded room where my dear Jensen will never find me.

However, I have to argue that there are things that you cannot change simply by changing your outlook. For example, say that you keep telling yourself over and over again that bears are cute and cuddly. Eventually you will begin to believe that bears are, in fact, cute and cuddly. What's going to happen when you're hiking and run into a giant grizzly and you decide to give that cute and cuddly guy a hug? I will tell you right here and now it will be nothing good.

Creating your own reality is a very powerful and dangerous ability. Please, use it with caution.

*BE(w)DA: Blog Every Work Day in April, a cousin of BEDA.