Fortune Cookie No. 5 - You Will Take a Pleasant Journey to a Place Far Away

You Will Take a Pleasant Journey to a Place Far Away

OK, this fortune is much better than the last one. And I realize now that my complaints directed at my previous fortune were a bit harsh. Apologies extended. That said, I'm looking forward to this one coming to fruition.

Now then let's break down this fortune:

First, what makes a pleasant journey pleasant? Some journeys don't begin as planned, intended vacations. In fact, where all vacations can be journeys, not all journeys are vacations. Some journeys and some vacations just happen spontaneously and can be the most memorable. While other trips are scheduled and organized, intended by all accounts to be pleasant trips, but take on a life of their own as nothing goes according to plan. While still "enjoyable", these journeys can be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Do we need to have a destination in mind before we undertake our journey? Or should spontaneity be our guide? Some of the greatest journeys were those where the intended became an afterthought.

Is this journey a pre-planned, anticipated/expected journey or is it a prize winning, all expenses paid trip? I mean if I receive the fortune after I've planned my journey, does the fortune still apply? In other words is the fortune referring to this upcoming journey or is an additional, unexpected journey still in my future? In my opinion, a fortune isn't much of a fortune if it predicts something already in the works. Now it might lend validity to my decision in taking a journey (which at present, I haven't). And to really blow your mind, what if, while on my journey, I receive the fortune?

Does it matter much if the journey is work related or for pleasure? Knowing the answer to this question doesn't concern me as much as the other inquiries. And to honest, they don't worry me much either. But are there enjoyable business journeys?

Also, what qualifies as far away? Far away might mean something different if you travel globally for business. Of course far away might be a trip to a neighboring city if you are a parent to a two year old. And the duration of the trip and the difficulty in getting to your destination can also factor in as to what one considers far away.

Finally and possibly most important, do I get to select those who will accompany me on my journey or is this excursion a solo adventure? Often the only reason the journey is pleasant is because of the company you take. Of course a backseat of stinky, crying, tired kids can alter the journey's enjoyment. The upside to a solo journey is your time is your time. You can go where you want and stay as long as you desire. You are only limited by your finances and adventurous spirit.

As is typical with my fortune writings (ramblings), I'm sure I'm over thinking this hopefully imminent journey.

So with that, spontaneity take over. Where we going today?

PS-This entry is a bit rough. I have a cold and I'm tired of writing it. I need a vacation.

Fortune Cookie No. 4 - Soon, you will receive pleasant news

Soon, you will receive pleasant news.

Time out! Fortune cookie fortune writers of the world, are you really becoming this indifferent in your fortune writing?! Where's the heart? Where's the passion? Where's the dedication and devotion to your craft? Pardon me if I complain for a minute, but this just might be the most benign, lazy, and generic fortune I have ever received. Don't get me wrong, I'll take it to be sure as it definitely beats,

"Soon, you will receive horrifying, devastating, and depressing news." 

But in all honesty, this fortune of receiving pleasant news can refer to any positive event happening everyday and in anyone's life . . . and hopefully does apply. As I've stated before, I'm not asking for any and all fortunes to be so specific as to declare the actual predicted event in vivid, descriptive detail, including the exact moment in time it will occur. But a little originality and excitement in the fortune would be appreciated, and with some amount of specificity. And yes, I am making a bigger deal out of this than is necessary, but oh well.

What then is pleasant new?
Well, doesn't this fortune really come down to what one considers pleasant news anyhow? And does this pleasant news need to affect me directly to qualify as "pleasant"? As the saying goes "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" or "Don't judge a book by its cover". For example if I read or heard of a news event where a mother and child were reunited after years of separation, well that is pleasant news to be certain. But it doesn't necessarily have much of an direct impact no my life. Or I'm sure hearing about someone finally achieving regularity after days of irregularity is pleasant news to the sufferer of said affliction or malady, but maybe not so much to the rest of us. Yet, on the whole, to argue this announcement isn't good news, not sure we can.

Another way to view this good new/bad news dichotomy is to see news receiving in terms of not receiving pleasant news, but rather in not receiving unpleasant news. Maybe no news often times really is good news, or in this case pleasant news.

Of course I don't sit around expecting and awaiting bad news. But honestly, at times anyhow, I also don't expect to receive good news either; at least not unexpectedly. Sounds a bit like the glass half full/half empty, in a way (and yes a glass with half water has the other half filled by air so the glass technically is full). The pessimist is the one who not only awaits the unpleasant news, but seeks it out. The optimist on the other hand, not only expects to receive pleasant news, but they search for it and share it. And when possible, they create pleasant news for others.

Why focus on bad news anyhow? What does it accomplish and who does it benefit? I'd rather be the good, see the good, and share the good in the world.

Question: So staying with the looking for and receiving positive news theme then, which is better, to receive expected pleasant news or to receive pleasant news unexpectedly? Maybe since good news is just that, good news, it doesn't really matter how/when it is received. Both are desired and appreciated by the pure in heart. The key of course is to be grateful in receiving pleasant news, no matter how and when it is received and to then acknowledge this gratitude and do something with this pleasant news. Share it!

It's also been said that sometimes it's more about what they don't say. I mean, maybe when receiving some unpleasant news, we can still find some "pleasant" news. Maybe not. That's the optimist in me.

So maybe the true fortune here has been a mindset reversal on how I perceive and receive news. From now on I will continue to accept the fact that bad things happen, but I'm going to be more positive in my expecting good news and in finding the positive in the news I receive.

What pleasant news have I received recently? I've certainly had some pleasant news, but let me get back to you . . .