Let's begin this new year with a mantra - something to keep in mind, something to remember when making decisions, big or small, something to keep us on the right track for the year.
My mantra is these two lines that I read yesterday and they struck a chord within my mind and heart
Look back and thank God
Look ahead and trust God
This resonates with the two main values of gratitude and optimism, by which I try to live my life. They both help me remember that whatever happens, happens for good, even though we might not be able to see it right away. It's a simple and powerful thought that has helped me get through many "negative" events in my life. It reminds me that things aren't as bad as they seem and to have faith that they will get better.
This brings me to the "Burnt Toast"theory that went viral on social media in 2023. Have a you heard of it?!
It suggests that life's minor inconveniences that make us grumble so, might actually be serving a purpose or protecting you from something.
Imagine that while making breakfast in the morning, you burn your toast. It is unsalvageable so you have to make more and that adds an extra five minutes to your routine, possibly making you late. An objectively small inconvenience that annoys you as you get into the car and head to work. But on the way, you see an accident, and when you hear the details, you realise that had you left your house on time, it could have been you. That burnt toast might have just saved your life.
Or perhaps that burnt toast made you late to work and as you get into the almost empty elevator, you meet someone who will become incredibly meaningful in your life - Maybe they become the love of your life, or a best friend, or a career connection you never dreamed of. Someone you met only because you were running late because you burnt your toast!
The theory isn't pathbreaking but at its core, the idea is to reframe life’s inconveniences and failures, with the belief that everything that happens is part of a bigger plan for your life. It us reminds us that no matter what happens, the universe has our back.
This small shift in your frame of mind can help you better accept things that are out of your control. Believing that there is something better in store can be particularly comforting when facing setbacks.
So, let us welcome 2024 with a resolve to embrace our burnt toasts
XOXO
Vibhinta