Wherever You Are, Be There

Years ago, I had a friend who would expound his motto: ‘Wherever you are, be there’ like it was some profound thought. That seemed odd, I mean, how profound is it that you are where you are? That seemed like a no-brainer, unless you are psychotic. I finally gave it serious consideration. My friend was not talking about physical placement or status. He was talking about mental placement. Said a different way: Whatever your circumstances, find a way to make things work. Do not go around whining and crying about your terrible situation, how someone else has it better (or so it seems), and how you got the short end of the stick. Make the stick (long or short) you are holding cast a positive light onto your life, not a negative one. I was working in a mental health clinic in Arizona when I first got my Ph.D. I was in with the clinic psychiatrist, my boss, listening as he counseled one of his patients. At some point, the patient said, “It’s not fair, doctor. It’s just not fair,” referring to a problem she was having. The psychiatrist stopped rocking back and forth in his chair, put his cigarette down, leaned forward, and said to the lady, “Whoever told you that life was supposed to be fair?” Good question. We all wish life were fair, but it is not.