Reality Reconstruction. Are you ready?

By Walt F.J. Goodridge

Special to the Saipan Tribune
Originally published: Wednesday, Feb 6, 2008


The only way to take control of your life, raise your standard of living and move beyond merely surviving is to create your own unique product or service that you offer to increasing numbers of people in exchange for the things of value that you desire. This simple formula applies to countries as well as people. A self-sufficient economy has its own products or services of value to export to the world. Similarly, a self-sufficient individual has something of value to exchange in the global marketplace. That thing of value is based on your natural talent, skill, or interest—in other words, your passion!


Considering pursuing your passion? Interested in launching your own business? Setting a challenging life goal? Intent on stimulating a national economy? Congratulations, and best of success to you! I would be remiss, however, if I didn’t prepare you for some of the consequences of the path you’re about to embark upon. If what you are considering is something that will take you to places others are afraid to journey, then there is going to be a price to pay for acting on ideas that go against the norm. In addition to the ridicule and rejection you may face from friends and family, there will also be some cosmic forces at work which may seem to be blocking you.

Many of us don’t recognize how the universe works. Here’s an illustration: if you are living in a house and wish to build a bigger better house, it may be necessary to demolish the existing house down to its foundation before you start building anew. In much the same way, once this creative universe we live in gets its orders from you that you want to change your reality, mysterious forces are set in motion that begin making the necessary changes in your life. If you’ve been living with people who think negatively and are going nowhere in their lives, you may find yourselves arguing more frequently. Or it may suddenly dawn on you that a person whom you thought you knew, has grown in an entirely different direction from where you now find yourself. You may have to make some hard decisions about who to keep with you on your journey, and who to leave by the roadside. If not, these individuals may hold you back from reaching your dreams. Go on without them, and if later you decide you still want their friendship, you can always come back and get them.

Similarly, if you’ve found yourself in a nowhere job, and you wish for the fulfillment and freedom of pursuing your passion, don’t be surprised if things start happening which lead to a (forced or voluntary) separation from your present place of employment.

These strange forces which first appear to be creating chaos in your life are part a phenomenon I call "reality reconstruction," and it usually happens right after a new reality is wished for and committed to in a significant way.

I witnessed this phenomenon firsthand in one of my business ventures several years ago. Within a few days of signing someone into my network marketing business, some "catastrophe" would invariably befall them. It might have been an illness, a fight with a spouse, a car accident, or some seemingly random event. At first I thought I was jinxed, or worse, that I was jinxing my new business partners. I soon came to realize, however, exactly what was going on: their realities were being reconstructed.

We live in a receptive and constructive universe that responds to our thoughts. When you say you want a better life, visualize and set goals accordingly, things naturally start to happen to bring you the life you desire. (Really! It’s true!) What happens, however, is that most people miss the clues, and interpret the ensuing chaos, tension, stress, turmoil, strained relationships, disagreements, disappointments, betrayals and lack of support from those we love as an indication that they’ve made a bad decision. Or worse, they fail to see the connection the new way of thinking is having on relationships and environment, and get distracted putting out these seemingly unexpected, and unrelated fires in their lives.

Interestingly, "reality reconstruction" doesn’t affect everyone to the same degree. Some people meet their dreams at a point in life after they’ve gone through the necessary preparation and personal growth. For those people, it can be a smooth transition into their dreams. However, of those it does affect, many fall by the wayside, overwhelmed by the unexpected changes in life, while others see it and embrace it for what it is, a reality reconstruction in progress.

The reality reconstruction that ensues by following a passion can mean ups and downs, uncertainty of regular income, having to make late payments, having your lights turned off, having your telephone disconnected, and maybe even homelessness. I recall the months where I was basically homeless and living on my friend’s couch and running my business from his living room. I knew that this was a temporary reality that I needed to experience to get to the success on the other side. Nothing motivates like desperation. And for some of us, experiencing dire straits is the only way we’ll ever develop the inner strength to really do what’s necessary to succeed as entrepreneurs. Are you prepared for any of the possible reconstructive realities that you may experience while you build your life anew?

I know of people who say they could never go through those kinds of experiences. If they happen to be married with children, they add that being single would make such changes easier. In response, I encourage people not to let their reason for doing a thing be their excuse for not doing it. In other words, many people crave the Passion Profit Life-style so they can spend more time with their children, but use the "responsibility" of providing for their children as the reason for not taking the risk to succeed.

I know of one woman with three children and a husband who quit her high-paying job to pursue her passion of being a writer. She ended up homeless and on public assistance (kids, husband and all) just before her big break--a six-figure publishing contract--came along. She didn’t let the downs get her down, and she realized that all things "come to pass." That is, they have come so that they can pass... (IF you gain the lessons they bring with them). She knew that sunshine follows the rain; that there’s always the seed of victory within every defeat; and that sometimes it’s necessary to hit bottom, before you can bounce back up.

So, as we move forward as individuals, as nations, and as a world community; and as we embrace the new buzzword of "change" as the platform of the new leadership, let us remember that change comes with a few challenges of reconstruction. If we are prepared for these ups and downs, we will have a better attitude, more realistic expectations, and consequently a better chance of achieving the goals we’ve set for ourselves!!

To build a better life, my friend
here’s something that I’ve found
things might just get a little worse
before they turn around.

The reason is you’ve spent your life
constructing woes and troubles
In breaking down those structures
you’ll find chaos often doubles

The fights increase, the tension mounts
close friends you may estrange
The world you’ve made is falling
so some things are bound to change

The thoughts you keep have shifted
and so too whom you attract
Let all the players clear the stage
make way for life’s new act

You’ll face this choice in life
each time you go against the grain:
Let go and risk it all,
or seek my comfort in the pain?

If better’s what you seek
then face life’s turmoil without fear
The reconstruction crisis
is a signal change is near!


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Until next time, remember, success is a journey, not a destination!-Walt



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