THE INVALUABLE WISDOM OF THE FORTUNE COOKIE

by Dr Georgianna Donadio

When was the last time you cracked open a fortune cookie? Those little slips of paper filled with uplifting, motivational messages always seem to brighten our days. Their snippets of inspiration, such as “you will be sharing great news with all those you love,” “be patient — success is near” or “happiness awaits you,” get posted on bulletin boards as a reminder of possibilities yet to come. These little harbingers of imagined visions or destiny spur us on and make us think: “What if it really could happen?”

The One-Minute Reflector

When you take a minute out of your day to pause and reflect on the fortune cookie’s positive message, you might suddenly stop and realize it’s the first affirmative message you’ve received all day. Amid the hustle and bustle of looming deadlines, gridlocked traffic and disgruntled coworkers, that little paper has provided a ray of light and a reminder of filed-away visions and dreams.

But this seemingly random and well-meaning message invites an even deeper question: What are we getting from these little fortune cookies that we are not getting in our day-to-day encounters that may be essential to our spirit, our sense of well-being and even our health? When was the last time you got this kind of a message from a friend or from your partner? Positive reinforcement can relay a possibility of hopeful outcomes or imagined dreams being fulfilled. These affirmations are all part of our self care
and self nourishment

 

Missing Sparks

Optimism has been shown to be an important part of good health and wellness. Without such sparks of inspiration or encouragement, we can tend to forget that life can be more than just the daily grind of work and responsibility. We can lose our optimism and forget our wide-eyed wonder at the world we
live in. Take a moment to “smell the roses” or read a Fortune Cookie!