The other night, while watching an Irish series on television, the next episode had a catchy name. The Fact of Life came across the screen, and my mind immediately went into writing mode. At that point, I couldn’t see the connection between this storyline and what was happening inside my head. I know what happens in John’s World; this is all I can share. Later, once I’ve seen the entire episode, I will better understand what they meant by those words. Here is what I was thinking.

There is no Facts in Life. Life is my interpretation of all experiences and thoughts of each instance. After being in an addiction recovery program for almost four decades, I’ve concluded that the facts last week are no longer so. My understanding of any given circumstance can change by the hour. Other times, it takes years to see that what I once thought was so has evolved into something new. Each new experience puts a different twist on all of my memories. What I once hated, I can love today. You see, life is not based on facts. It’s my interpretation of the facts.

A classic example was presented to me one evening while attending an AA Big Book meeting. The chairperson stood at the front of the room with an open book and yelling like an old-time evangelist preacher. It scared the hell out of me. I crept along the wall, not wanting to be noticed, and proceeded to the coffee bar. I sat along the wall and listened as I didn’t dare to raise my hand in fear. After the meeting, everyone left except for the coffee maker and me. I had once sponsored Kenny and told him what I had just witnessed. “Kenny, this is the worst meeting I have ever attended.” His reply hit me with a ton of bricks. He replied, “I love this meeting,”. He went on to say how he learns so much from this fellow. I left the meeting wondering what was wrong with Kenny’s thinking. I contemplated what he said and what I thought. We had both seen the same thing. He loved it, and I hated it. How can that be? I then realized that we both had interpreted what we saw based on different experiences and values. Maybe it was me who was wrong. When I think of that night, I realize there are no facts about life. Based on my perception, it is all about what is happening in my head at any moment.

I now look at everything with an open mind. One of my favorite authors and lecturers, Wayne Dyer, said, “When I change how I look at things, the things I look at change.” This shift in my consciousness has made all the difference in the past twenty years.

I will listen to that episode and see how it compares to my thinking about life. Once again, I could be wrong.