Don’t Pray that Prayer

A friend once said to me “don’t pray that prayer.” I can’t remember what negative thought I was spouting but I do remember being struck by how powerful the expression was.  I had never heard it before and have thought about it many times since.

I also love flipping it on its head - pray that prayer.

What do I want to put in my head ? What mindset am I wanting for the moment, the day, the week, my life…

We all know people who seem to naturally pray that prayer – they walk around with the air of everything is going to work out and I’ve got this. I love being with them because not only is their positive energy contagious, it also allows me to more easily see through that lens.

One of my friends considers himself a parking guru – he can drive up to a busy restaurant in downtown Boston (pre-COVID) and, almost without fail, find a great parking spot. Does his attitude magically create an available place for him to park? Of course not. Do I believe in parking gods and do they happen to really like this guy? Maybe. Or…  perhaps he finds a spot a few blocks away and he thinks bingo – this is GREAT! As opposed to ugh I have to walk 3 blocks.

Research shows that if you’re thinking about buying a red car, you will suddenly see red cars everywhere. You have given your brain the signal to notice them. Pretty powerful. About a month or so ago, I began a new practice. Before getting out of bed in the morning, I say to myself “today is going to be a great day.” Obviously great days CAN just happen. But I figure I might as well give myself better odds and be more intentional about it.

 So go ahead and Pray that Prayer!