To counteract some of the computer problems that occasionally occur, there’s a handy little built-in mechanism that enables you to set or choose a “restore point.”
Think of it as a way to do some backwards time- travelling. Something’s wrong? Maybe you downloaded a flashy little game and now your system doesn’t work anymore? No problem! Just choose a restore point from before the unfortunate incident, and bing-bang-boom, you are back to normal! Or at least, that’s the theory.
This isn’t a computer column, of course. But the concept of the restore point got me thinking…wouldn’t it be handy if we could do that in life?
Maria and Bernie have been married a long time, and over the years, Bernie has developed health problems. Early one morning, he took “a turn.”
As Maria sat in the hospital waiting for the tests and the doctors and the diagnosis, she had plenty of time to think, pray, and hope. Like most couples, they’ve had their ups and downs, but overall, it’s been a good relationship. Maria doesn’t want it to end.
Bernie’s annoying little habits—his socks on the floor, his constant teasing, his chronic lateness—all fade in importance when compared to the possibility of not having Bernie at all. Maria waits, hopes: if only, if only, Bernie turns out ok.
When the doctor finally emerges and tells her that it’s likely that Bernie will recover, Maria has never been more grateful in her life. She feels closer to Bernie than ever before.
The great news is that Bernie did recover. He’s even back to his normal self, teasing and all. And Maria is back to normal too, choosing to be irritated by his untidiness and frustrated by his lateness.
What if Maria could choose a restore point for her perceptions? What if she could roll her attitude back to the time when she was sitting in the hospital, hearing the doctor tell her that Bernie would recover?
At that point, she had been so grateful that Bernie wasn’t going to die that the tiny imperfections of life with him were swept completely out of her mind. Bernie could have teased her constantly and left his entire wardrobe on the floor…who cares? At least they’re able to continue their lives together!
So how about restoring that feeling? What if Maria could reset her “restore point” to that time when she was so grateful that Bernie survived? Rather than letting the memory of the fear and gratitude fade, why not reset her perception to that of having a very good life together?
With a perspective of “this is the morning after the hospital,” the trivial irritants are swept away by these vital facts: Bernie is alive, well, and they are together.
While we can’t wipe out external events, we can control a lot of what we do, think, and perceive. One way to help you to control your perceptions is to select a time in the past when you perceived that you had something that you wanted. Perhaps it was your actions that suited you, or the thoughts that you were having, or the emotions that were satisfying for you. Reset your attitudes, perceptions, emotions to the ones you had at your chosen restore point.
Do you think that the idea of choosing a restore point could help you with perspective? Is it worth a try?
