You’ve heard the one about the flight attendant who was supposed to work on United Flight 175 on 911? You know, the flight that crashed into the South Tower of New York’s World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001?
Elise O’Kane kept trying to switch to flight 175 because it suited her schedule better, but United’s booking computer froze every time she tried. She couldn’t get on that doomed flight.
So, instead of being one of the 3 thousand or so victims of 911, Elise O’Kane lived to tell this story of her close brush with death.
Afterward, she quit working for United Airlines and became a nurse. She wanted to “give back” as if she was spared for some reason.
Which doesn’t make a lot of sense if life is random.
Come to think of it, does even saying that life is random make sense? I mean, look at how people talk about themselves. Does anyone say that they achieved an important personal goal through random chance? Lottery winners, maybe.
Believing that life is random only goes so far. Even people with all the luck in the world will still chalk up their success or avoidance of bad outcomes to how hard they worked or how smart they are, even if they did practically nothing to deserve it.
Believing that life is random only helps us cope when things go badly. It is as natural as breathing to expect that everything can be explained or that there are reasons for what happens. We just have trouble consistently believing it.
Which is strange. There is one set of beliefs for when things go well and a completely different mindset for when things go badly! Is there a way to be more consistent?
You know a winner when you see one. Confident. Happy. Winners believe that everything they do will have a lasting impact on their lives and the lives of others.
Even when winners lose, to get back on track, do you think they believe that life is random? Not a chance!
Come to think of it, doesn’t it make you wonder why there is so much chatter about life being random? It’s almost like the winners want to keep everyone else down! You know, keep us believing that luck is needed to be successful in life while they go on grinding through problems regardless of what happens.
How might a more consistent view of life where we always control our destiny make a difference?
Simple. Adopt a set of beliefs that promote a winning attitude. You have nothing to lose.
Think of it this way. Say life is entirely random, and we are fools to think that there is an ultimate purpose in living. What do you gain?
A little comfort? When something goes wrong, you tell yourself it’s just life and that life is random. But eventually, guess what? After you recover from whatever happened that made you think life is random, you’ll have to adopt a completely different mindset to succeed in your work or relationships again. You know, the mindset where you believe you control things and that life has purpose and meaning!
Why not be consistent and believe that nothing is random? Everything that happens has a reason, even when we can’t always know what it is. Then, refuse to accept reversals in life as the final say, no matter what you face.
Because believing life is random has only one outcome. Acceptance of defeat when it happens. If you think that fate or circumstances you don’t control determine everything, a life of being a victim will become a real possibility.
Which is never anyone’s choice. It is more like a conclusion reached when there are no other options.
This is where a belief system comes in handy. It can be a support for having a winning attitude consistently. You don’t have to face life entirely on your own. You can be with people who do not believe life is random!
Who are these people? Roman Catholics.
You see, the founder of Roman Catholicism, Jesus Christ, was successful, and then it seemed he failed utterly. But he didn’t fail. His message has been adopted everywhere, even by people who do not call themselves Roman Catholic.
Jesus died and rose again to live forever. And through his teaching, everyone who believes in him and follows his teaching can live forever, too.
You can join the Roman Catholic church and believe that this life is a preparation for a wonderful future with God, who made everything and wants to restore all creation to himself.
Your new life lived with God is scheduled to arrive! Will you accept it? Please let me know if you have any questions, and I will reply.