Perceptions, prices and possibilities

Yesterday as I was checking out at the market, I found myself in the midst of a conversation between the cashier and the gentlemen helping to box my groceries.

Who do you think it will be?
Will we recognize them?
What if it’s one of our regulars, a favorite?
Maybe it’ll be that old man who’s always cranky and mean and they won’t let him come back. But what if it’s someone we really like and they don’t let them come back?
What if they really can’t afford it?
What if they give it away to people who can’t afford it?
Maybe it’s that New Yorker who drives a Bentley and gets an adrenaline rush from it.
Ooh, I can’t wait to see who it is…

One of them looked to me and said, We just discovered that someone’s been using an old code for bulk coffee beans that gives them an amazing price, a price that we haven’t had in years. They use an old code we didn’t deactivate. Every single week. The staff can’t wait to find out who it is.

What hit me was how many perspectives we can have on one situation.

But this one situation can lead us down the rabbit hole of people doing bad things — someone stealing, but excusing this behavior in the name of altruism.
They can’t really afford it.
But they want to serve good organic coffee to bring others some joy (insert the elderly, the lonely, the enhanced, who knows?)

Or, see neutrality (this was my thought).
What if they’ve been shopping here for decades writing the same code on their bag of coffee beans and it’s become an unconscious habit. And when they’re confronted, they’ll laugh and say, Oh my I had no idea. How much do I owe you? Or, may I make a donation to this month’s sponsored charity?

I like to think of this story unfolding in a way that makes everyone at this family-run business feel connected and appreciated rather than thinking that someone had a scheme to steal a couple dollars worth of coffee each week. And how much energy would it take to keep this lie in place? That’s a whole other conversation for another day.

Where in your life might you currently have a similar situation or circumstance (in this case, an inaccurate code for coffee beans) and what story or outcome might you be making up or creating a fantasy around?
(Hint: fantasies aren’t always positive.)
And how might you change that story today so that it shifts you back into how you want to feel about yourself and others? In a way that feels really good?

Here’s a few ideas:

The friend who hasn’t returned your call yet
The neighbor who blocked your parking spot
Your partner who forgot to do the errand
The cranky receptionist

Whatever we perceive we also receive.

What lens of perception are you choosing?

Send me a field report. I love to read them

Love + Magic,

Amber