Be Careful What You Wish For

SHOW NOTES:

On this show…we are taking our time, letting the candle wax run as we explore the warning; be careful what you wish for. I’m sure you’ve thought about it before, if I could have anything, what would I wish for? You might have even played the game when you were young, three wishes. Some of you might have chosen simply, for the moment and others of you might have taken your time, savoring each wish and thinking of an all-encompassing answer. “I wish for unlimited wishes”. But how many of you thought of the after wish. You know that time after the wish has been granted. What now? How do you live with your choice? How do you manage the gift? Sometimes it’s not as simple as granting you what you want but instead, there could be strings attached or conditions. What if it weren’t that simple and instead, every wish led to an extended responsibility. Maybe instead of wishing you find contentment where you are and with what you have. Intriguing? Maybe, let’s dig in and see.

I recently read a book, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. In the story, the main character, Adeline is desperately trying to get out of an arranged marriage at the end of the 17th century in France. She has befriended a lady of the woods who taught her to pray to many other gods besides the religious God her parents worshiped. She warned her never to pray at night because the God of the night wasn’t a good god but an evil one. Unfortunately, that is just what happened. In her desperation to escape and not be owned by anyone, she made a deal with the devil. She could live forever, independently but when surrendered, her soul would be his. 

She was 23 at the time of the deal and she would be 23 for centuries. Sounds amazing huh? Never growing old and bonus, she could never die which meant, any injury or accident was immediately rectified. 

BUT you didn’t think the devil would make it that rich did you? Now the conditions. Why couldn’t she be owned or controlled by anyone? Because as soon as she left their sight, even exiting a room, she was immediately forgotten. She wasn’t allowed to say her name or make a mark in any way on this world. Think about that? She couldn’t get a job, rent a room, have a friend, or make a home. She couldn’t build on more than the first meeting with anyone. No one remembered her. Let that sink in for a minute. 

What if no one remembered you or what you did? I think we’ve all wished for eternal youth but imagine if this were the consequence?

Don Hall gives us another example to set the stage: Monkey's Paw Wishes and the Consequences of Want found at literateape.com

Mike Fishbein helps us understand The Happiness Trap: Why You’re Never Satisfied and How to Break the Cycle found at medium.com

At aconsiousrethink.com I found 6 Sad Reasons Why You Are Never Satisfied In Life (+ How To Be)

I want to leave you with 4 Inspiring Messages from The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

CHALLENGE: count your lucky stars and find gratitude in the life you have. Before you make a deal for more, explore the conditions and impact a wish granted will have on your life. It’s all in the power of perception.

I Know YOU Can Do It!