There’s an old joke by Steven Wright: “Somebody stole everything in my apartment and replaced it with an exact replica.”
I always loved the surreal humor of this one-liner (and dozens of others from Wright’s seemingly endless supply, made all the better by his deadpan delivery). Recently, though, I got to thinking that this bizarre hypothetical scenario might contain an important life lesson.
As strange as it may seem, many things in our lives are repeatedly replaced with “replicas” — relationships, possessions, and situations in all areas of life:
- You get out of one relationship only to have it replaced by another with the same dynamic.
- You work your way out of debt, only to find yourself struggling financially once again six months later.
- You leave a job to escape an unpleasant boss, only to find that your next boss treats you the same way!
- You find yourself having the same conversations, thinking the same thoughts, and feeling the same way…day after day after day.
No, the specific details aren’t always the same, but your experience often is!
Why does this keep happening? Why do you so often find that the (supposedly) “new” stuff in your life is practically a replica of the old?
To answer this question, let’s look again at Wright’s joke — this time, putting ourselves in the role of the thief (or perhaps “prankster” would be a kinder and more accurate word). This isn’t a way to put ourselves down — it’s a way to empower ourselves by seeing the truth of this situation: WE are the ones who replace the things in our own lives. And, more often than not, we replace them with near-identical replicas.
The reason why this happens is simple: We create our own reality — through our words and actions and, most of all, through our thoughts. So if we keep saying the same things, doing the same things, and thinking the same things, we’re going to keep getting the same results. We’re going to keep replacing everything in our lives with replicas.
If you’re happy with the way things are, by all means, keep up whatever you’re doing (and saying and thinking)! But if you’d prefer something else, then here’s some good news: It’s just as easy to get something different!
(Well, almost as easy — it does take a bit of conscious effort to form a new habit, but you can certainly do it!)
After all, that “prankster” breaks into your house/life every single night and replaces every single thing in your life! And once you realize that this prankster is YOU (or your mind), you can decide to replace things with upgrades!
If you don’t want to replace your old, negative relationship patterns with replicas, think different thoughts about the relationship (and the other person). Say different words — to them and to yourself. And expect different outcomes.
(The same goes for health, finances, work, or any other area of your life — it ALL gets replaced by that prankster!)
All of these changes start with a decision that you’d like some new “stuff” in your life.
If this prankster is going to regularly replace everything anyway (and it is!), you may as well ask it for things that you prefer. Tell it that if it’s going to steal and replace your couch anyway, you’d like a replacement that’s a bit more comfortable than what you’ve currently got. And, while it’s replacing things, how about more harmonious relationships, a greater flow of abundance, and more joy in all areas of your life.
If Steven Wright is getting “robbed” anyway, he may as well get some nice, new furniture out of the deal! And if you are going to create (and re-create) your life experience every single day, you may as well get your heart’s desires!
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(PS: Wright’s joke also has a great topper: when he tells his roommate what happens, his roommate asks him, “Do I know you?”)
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PPS (unrelated to the Wright joke, but fairly time sensitive): Have you signed up to contribute to our upcoming book, 365 Ways to Connect with Your Soul? Over 300 spots are already filled, so if you’re interested in being part of this collaborative project, sign up while space is still available!
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Great post. I always enjoyed Steven Wright and his method of delivery too. What you’ve said here is so true. We are the ones who keep replacing our own stuff. It has taken me many years to learn just how much control we have over certain parts of our lives when we reach adulthood. Thanks for the nice reminder today!
Thanks, Tracy. I’m glad you enjoyed the post — and also get a kick out of Steven Wright. At a time when it seemed that comedians were getting louder and increasingly flamboyant, he did just the opposite: going deadpanned and monotoned, but always hilarious. You can Google him and get hundreds of jokes. (I also like “You can’t have everything. Where would you put it?”)
And yes, I’m also seeing some of the hidden wisdom, such as the “replicas” and, as you pointed out, how much control we have over what we create/replace. I think it mostly comes down to what we focus on, what we think about, and how we FEEL about what we’re focusing on and thinking about the most — that’s what creates a lot (if not all) of our life experience. And if we focus/think/feel the same way, we’ll get the same experience. If we change it, we get something different. Maybe not as funny as Wright’s way of putting it, but definitely helpful to remember!
Thanks again for taking the time to stop by, read the post, and share your thoughts. All the best! 🙂