The Power of Perspective
This blog is a continuation of sorts of the previous one in regards to being a work in process. The past year (to this very week) has been difficult for me in many ways. As a result, I have allowed many things to be taken from me; my joy, grace, hope and peace to name a few. Well, I’m tired of it all. I am tired of not being myself and allowing circumstances to be on top of me rather than me on top of them.
I once heard it said that life is 20% what happens to us and 80% how we respond. Over and over, I have learned the truth of that statement in both positive and negative ways. While I have not responded well to life over the past year, I have recently drawn a line in the sand and said, “no more”. Who I have been is NOT who God has called and empowered me to be!
Well, to no surprise, within a 20 minute period of time this past Friday, three different things popped up which quickly challenged my fresh perspective and resolve. There I was with a choice to make…allow those things to pull me back into the negative or choose “life”. For years I have prayed “life” over things such as the hopeless, my complacency and God’s promises, but in that moment on Friday I began speaking life over my choices, thoughts, attitude and perspective.
After these challenges confronted me on Friday, I left for a retreat with some of my closest girlfriends. The name of the retreat was “be STRONG” and I must say, I did leave strengthened. God spoke many things to me while there, but it started with the word “life”. Through my friend, God continued to speak to me through the word “beautiful”. Not only do I need to see life and strength come to areas that have been weak, discouraged and beaten down, but I need to also look for beauty in those things as well. It’s like the old adage, “Is the glass half full or half empty? What we see depends on our mindset; be it positive or negative. Either way it is the same glass with the same amount of water. So much of life is based on our perspective of our circumstances; so though I had a difficult year, perhaps it wasn’t my circumstances that needed to change as much as my perspective. Growing up my mom always told me, “Michele, attitude is 99% of the ballgame”. Once again, Mom was right.
Like I said, the line has been drawn in the sand and I am finally breaking free from all that has been holding me down over the past year and moving forward. I’ve learned that when I focus on the negative, I am weak, but when I choose life and find beauty around me, then will I be STRONG.
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