March is a tough time of the year. The holidays seem ages ago, February snow has been rampant, illnesses are spreading as we stay inside without much fresh air, and spring still seems a way off. Can it get any worse?
If you’re a skeptic you know asking “can it get any worse?” is not a good question to ask, because we know that in fact it can always get worse. I hope I didn’t jinx us into more March snow? If so, I know you’re now going to blame me.
As we deal with another cold New England winter, it’s a good reminder that life is often about perspective. The older we get, the more we have experienced, and chances are we’ve all endured some seasons of tragedy, suffering, or pain. Maybe we’re in the middle of something right now, or maybe something happened long ago, but surely we have all experienced both good and bad times.
Perspective is often about our choice - how do we choose to see the things that are happening to us? This can often go one of two ways. We can either choose to try to see the good in the situation, even in the bad times, or we can remain angry, build up resentment, and blame others for our losses and pain. And I think you know what I will say, if we have a choice, choose optimism. Even if you’re wrong, it will be a much better experience.
I know many of us have been through tough times, but as we look back at our lives, I think we often can see the good that resulted from the bad. Perhaps we lost a job, a relationship ended, or we experienced another painful event. But with hindsight being 20/20, we might be able to look back and realize that whatever that was we went through was actually for the best. Maybe something even better happened because of it. Maybe it allowed us to become an even better person. Maybe we can now help others who are going through the same thing. There is often good that comes from bad, but we may need to look for it. Just keep looking for the good.
As we trudge on through the end of a snowy, icy, and dark winter, may we reflect on difficult times in our lives that brought good. And may we be thoughtful in how we choose our perspective. Choose wisely, enjoy your life, and be kind to one another. Oh, and spring begins at 5:01 AM on March 20th!
“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response.” - Viktor Frankl
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