What We Can Learn About Life From The Kids Game “Where’s Waldo?”

I want to tell you a story that has had a powerful impact on me, which in turn, changed my life in the best ways possible. And it’s my hope that you have a similar experience.

I had a professor who started the semester with an experiment; it was brilliant. If you’re willing, I’d love for you to give it a try.

He’d start by saying, “Class, without getting out of your seat, take 15 seconds and notice everything in the room that is red.”

He would then have us close our eyes and say, “Okay, now I want you to list everything in the room that is…blue.”

At this point, the class let out an audible groan (which you might be doing, too, if you’re playing along at home).

But he had a point, and it’s one I’ve never forgotten:

He said, “Some of you are so convinced that God* can only work in the RED that you are missing all the ways He’s moving in the BLUE.”

He was right, and it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Sometimes — often times —I can believe that God only works in certain places and in certain ways. And what happens is, I miss so many of the ways, big and small, that God is moving every day.

The truth is that the choice isn’t between being in His presence or being somewhere else. We are always in God’s presence.

The choice is to be aware of it or not.

Which makes me think… I wonder if God is a little bit like “Where’s Waldo”.

He’s on every page, but sometimes you have to look a little more intently to see Him.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to live my life like that. I don’t want to live unaware of the presence of God right under my nose.

I don’t want to rush past or hurry through the seasons I’m in. If God is moving — and I know He is — I don’t want to miss it.

It’s like the Frequency Illusion (Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon): what you’re looking for, you will find.

You know what I mean… like when you’ve just bought a new car and suddenly, you start to see it everywhere.

It’s the same for everything else:

• If you’re looking for outrage, you will find it.
• If you’re looking for negativity, you will find it.
• If you are looking for ways to complain, you will find it.

It’s easy to see the negative, the ugly. And there is certainly enough reasons why.

But here’s the best thing of all…

• If you’re looking for grace, you will find it.
• If you’re looking for beauty, you will find it.
• If you’re looking for goodness, you will find it.

When we intentionally seek out things to be grateful for, there is an abundance of evidence to support that, too.

Sometimes, I think we glance at what’s beautiful and gaze at what’s broken. When we reverse that, life changes.

So maybe ask yourself, “What am I looking for today?” and know that what you look for, you will find.

Here’s to happiness… to gratitude… to success.
GP

*Interchangeable word with whatever you put your faith into.