Setbacks

It’s bound to happen to you sooner or later. There you are, going along happily through life, and a setback hits.

It might be something as simple as a flat tire, or something as massive as a coronary. Whatever it is, it takes a hold of you, shakes you by the shoulders, and says, in effect, “Wake up and look at me.” And if you’re not careful, a simple little setback can mean a major problem later on.

Let me explain such a rash statement. I believe that what matters most in life is not what you go through, but what you learn from it. One person will have a flat tire going to work in the morning, and he’ll break down, curse God and country, and have a terrible day. Another person will calmly change the tire (or call the auto club), work through the problem, and not let it affect him or her.

What’s the difference here? The one person let it affect him. The other one didn’t.

Things happen. Sometimes things that we thought to be misfortunes turn out to be good in the long run. That flat tire might keep you from an accident later down the road. A lost job might bring better opportunities. Things happen. That’s true. But things themselves don’t bring values with them. We ourselves assign the values. We call the shots.

Think about daylight and dusk. When it’s the broad light of day, colors are vibrant. But in twilight, colors dim and fade. The object hasn’t changed color. Only our perception has changed.

So life is. Our perceptions rule our realities. Our decision to brand something a “setback” may actually wind up setting us back, when we could have branded it an opportunity, and moved ahead. Our stumbling blocks can become our stepping stones, when we view them in the broad daylight afforded by positive thinking.

Have a great weekend.