Just 2 days ago my 17″ Mac Book Pro and external hard drive containing all of my work was robbed from me while traveling home on a bus in Costa Rica. I write to you today from my trusty iPhone.

I should be absolutely furious about this right? Afterall, this complete stranger had no right to take what wasn’t theirs. I should feel violated in this moment. Years of work snatched from my possesion and now I am left with nothing while some random Joe snoops through all my most personal information. Unsettling right?… I say, nah! Let me share with you how I was able to keep my cool and not experience the slightest bit of misery throughout this entire ordeal.

The first thing to grasp is the concept that it is impossible to possess anything. How can I call an object “mine”. Does speaking the words “this is mine” create some mystical force field that creates a magical bond between me and the object? Once you truly grasp this concept, attachment to anything physical becomes no more and the misery and belief that you “lost” anything will disappear. I didn’t lose my laptop, it is simply somewhere else.

“I am now left with nothing.” This is the belief that would normally cause anger and frustration. Let’s ask the simple question, “Is it true?” The way I see it, I am left with nothing but infinite possibilities. The first possibility that arises in my mind is, I get to purchase a sweet new laptop! So what if I go a couple grandy into debt, I’m a big boy, I’ll take care of it.

There is a complete stranger somewhere in the world perusing through my personal goods. Again, question the thought and turn it around. Last night as I was lying in bed I got super excited wondering what this person was going to think about all of my funny videos stored on my computer. The thought alone was priceless! I hope they share them with their family and get some good laughs.

The easiest thing you can tell yourself is, “Why argue with reality?” The laptop is gone, cool, what’s next. Maybe if I had a time machine this would be different, but as far as I know, we haven’t discovered this technology yet.

What if I would have kept it in my lap like the name implies? What if I wouldn’t have fallen asleep? What if, what if… Get your sorry butt out of the past! Why not ask this question, “What if Donald Trump sat in my lap and handed me a million dollars?” This question is just as realistic as the prior what if’s.

So I sit here now entertaining myself with my iPhone 4, writing a sweet blog post that perhaps gets read and helps someone out, perhaps not. It’s amazing how easy life becomes when we choose not to argue with reality.

If you have feedback or questions about anything at all feel free to leave a comment below or email me privately at Walter@WalterAllred.com