Here’s a sentence I never thought I would write. Eight months ago I
saw something in a public toilet that really inspired me to alter my
perspective. I know this sounds weird... bear with me.
It was a stinking hot New York day and being an antipodean girl I needed
sand between my toes and a seabreeze licking my face. I took the F train
to Coney Island (spoiler alert: not an actual island) and headed to the beach.
I’d ducked into a toilet block to change into my bikini when I noticed this was
no ordinary public facility.
On the walls were framed photos of children, a framed print saying
FAMILY and a wall clock. On another wall were wall hangings, ornaments and
other bric-a-brac items you’d expect to see at your great aunty’s house when
you pop around for a cuppa. Outside – which I hadn’t noticed when I’d walked in
- were lovingly nurtured pot plants draped in organza and cheery-coloured
fabric. Someone – and I think we can assume this was not a council-funded
exercise – had taken it upon themselves to decorate this toilet block so it
looked like their living room. As a result, it felt warm and welcoming, and a
space you want to treat with respect. You felt honoured to be there and wanted
to linger.
I was amazed by how this woman’s dedication had transformed this space.
I mean, this is literally a place where people go to dispose of human waste, yet she
had made it feel cosy and uplifting. Yes, it was a little odd to see someone’s
personal photos in a toilet block. But also, kind of comforting. Perhaps this
is what Rihanna was singing about when she found love in a hopeless place
(lol).
The reason this inspired me was that it made me realise that if it’s
possible to change the energy of a public toilet, it’s possible for me to do
the same with the contents of my head. And if I can do that, I can make room
for even more love and light in my life.
A lot of spiritual teachers talk about the power of the mind when it
comes to changing our lives. This is something I’ve sometimes struggled
with, as it often feels like my mind is in control of me, rather than the other
way around. It’s all well and good to think positive when life is tickling
along nicely, but when everything turns to custard, I find my resolve
crumbling. What I’m realising more and more is that acceptance is as important
as positivity. What I mean by that is it’s OK to accept a bad day
instead of fighting desperately to pretend it’s something more
rosy (so long as I don’t take it out on others). But when it comes to the
beating-myself-up, nothing-ever-goes-right-for-me, I’m-never-going-to-get-what-I-want thought
patterns, I can definitely change the energy of that space.
Finding joy amid the darkness is one of our greatest challenges as humans.
But with open hearts and, ideally, open minds, it is always possible.