“With everything that has happened to you, you can either feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose.”
Way
This is a quote from the late Wayne Dyer. It arrived in my email with a story about a young girl who, despite a diagnosis that she would live out her life in a wheelchair, stood up and walked again after a couple of decades.
Lee and I ask ourselves, "What's happening now... How is this an opportunity to grow?" Paul S. Jenkins, Ph.D in his recent book, Pathological Positivity, challenges his readers to ask when faced with obstacles, "What could possibly be good about this?" (Note the question mark; if you put heat and an exclamation mark at the end -- entirely different meaning.)
Our lives are filled with hurdles. We decide whether we hit hard, fall down and stay there -- or fly over and keep going towards the life we truly want to be living. We choose whether we capture the opportunity to grow, or let it slip away.
I had the experience yesterday of choosing to adhere to my commitments to make calls, despite fatigue, apprehension about ailing family members, and an endless to-do list. Once I started, I had the sensation of flying through the calls. I booked three appointments and a follow-through in under 20 minutes. I had that sensation of flying over the hurdle. And my fatigue, worry and overwhelm made a hasty exit.
It's that power to choose that I often forget. The noise in my head drowns out the essential question: "How can I use what's happening to fuel my progress towards a life of calling my own shots, making lasting memories, and making a difference?"
What do I choose today? Growth or stagnation? More of the same -- or a life of my own design?
I get to choose.
Way
This is a quote from the late Wayne Dyer. It arrived in my email with a story about a young girl who, despite a diagnosis that she would live out her life in a wheelchair, stood up and walked again after a couple of decades.
Lee and I ask ourselves, "What's happening now... How is this an opportunity to grow?" Paul S. Jenkins, Ph.D in his recent book, Pathological Positivity, challenges his readers to ask when faced with obstacles, "What could possibly be good about this?" (Note the question mark; if you put heat and an exclamation mark at the end -- entirely different meaning.)
Our lives are filled with hurdles. We decide whether we hit hard, fall down and stay there -- or fly over and keep going towards the life we truly want to be living. We choose whether we capture the opportunity to grow, or let it slip away.
I had the experience yesterday of choosing to adhere to my commitments to make calls, despite fatigue, apprehension about ailing family members, and an endless to-do list. Once I started, I had the sensation of flying through the calls. I booked three appointments and a follow-through in under 20 minutes. I had that sensation of flying over the hurdle. And my fatigue, worry and overwhelm made a hasty exit.
It's that power to choose that I often forget. The noise in my head drowns out the essential question: "How can I use what's happening to fuel my progress towards a life of calling my own shots, making lasting memories, and making a difference?"
What do I choose today? Growth or stagnation? More of the same -- or a life of my own design?
I get to choose.
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