What If It’s All Good?

What If It’s All Good? July 17, 2015

You’ve likely heard the expression, “It’s all good,” and perhaps a part of you has thought, “Yeah, yeah, easy to say, but really??” Let’s look at the word, Good. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Good as:

        • bountiful, fertile
        • of a favorable character or tendency
        • suitable, fit
        • profitable, advantageous
        • agreeable, pleasant
        • salutary, wholesome
        • amusing, clever
        • well-founded, cogent
        • true , deserving of respect, honorable
        • adequate, satisfactory ,choice, discriminating
        • virtuous, right, commendable , kind, benevolent
        • competent, skillful
        • loyal,  close
        • free from infirmity or sorrow
(c) Carl Studna
(c) Carl Studna

If we expand our definition of Good to include these qualities and if we agree that Divine Intelligence at its core is composed of these qualities, and that everything births out of this intelligence, then all circumstances can truly be seen as good.

But how can we possibly justify all of the killing, torture, slavery, hunger, disease and misery in the world as being good? Well, in the literal context, of course these conditions are not, and should not be condoned.  These are symptoms of a world divided, and as long as we think that we’re better or more deserving than others, or hold onto the old paradigm, “Every Man (And Woman) for Himself,” we will continue to witness acts that bring us pain, individually and collectively.

When looking at making significant positive shifts or changes, individually or as a society, they often don’t happen until enough momentum is built through disasters, pain or some sort of wakeup call. Perhaps we haven’t evolved enough as humankind to make these shifts without the obvious and dramatic need to do so. That said, looking from this purview, everything can be seen as good (in the needed sense) because all circumstances seem to be necessary in order to learn and evolve.

As long as we live in a society that deals in the realm of duality, there will always be a Good and a Bad, a Right and a Wrong. In fact, it’s hard for us to conceive of viewing things any other way. In the Buddhist tradition, duality does not exist. Life simply Is. If something bad or painful occurs, it’s seen from a purely objective view as an occurrence to be studied without placing judgment or bringing in emotion. From this perspective, one can assess a situation and make different choices that bring another outcome. Some call this practice, Mindfulness.  The more mindful we become, we tend to react less to ebbs and flows in our lives and honor the greater good that’s at play, bring forth a deeper sense of trust and devotion to higher learning.

So, the next time you hear someone say, It’s All Good, it can serve as a reminder that at our essence, all is whole, loving and perfect. How can we show up more fully and be the change?


Browse Our Archives