exceptions

To me, exceptions are far more interesting than rules.

Statistics, studies, predictions, prognostications, and limitations bore me. But my ears perk right up when I hear stories of people beating 'the odds', or ignoring culturally supported notions about what is possible and breaking the mold.

If nine out of ten people say they are being negatively impacted by the economy, I want to know more about the one who said she wasn't. If nine out of ten people die from a certain disease, I am insatiably curious about the one who recovered.

It feels so much more productive and satisfying to learn about the folks who managed to accomplish the outcome that I would desire. During driving lessons when I was a teenager, I remember learning that people often tend to steer in the direction they are looking. These days, I'm choosing what I watch, listen to, and read very deliberately. Before I get too caught up in it, I ask myself if I am feeling inspired and hopeful, or drained and powerless. I stay tuned to the former, and change the channel, figuratively and/or literally, on the latter.