I was thinking this morning about the differences between an optimistic view and a pessimistic view. On a cold and cloudy day like today, it is very easy to lean much more toward the pessimistic side of thought. As I walked outside this morning, I was thinking, “Not another day of this cold wind and freezing temperatures!” I know that I have been complaining to anyone who will listen (and even those who fake listening) about how tired I am of winter. So I would have to say that my viewpoint this morning has definitely been on the “half empty glass” side of things.
Yet, my thoughts betrayed me as I sat at my desk this morning. I began to think about how close we are to the month of March. I began thinking about the fact that March 20 is the “official” day of spring. Even though the weather does not always reflect this spring date, we are leaning much closer to warmer weather, thawing, greening grass and more sunshine. When I looked at this in comparison to November 20, I realized that the end of winter is close at hand.
Once my thoughts shifted toward the more optimistic or positive side, I found my attitude and spirit lifting. I realized that whenever I am dwelling on the negative aspects of life, I lose energy, focus, and feel very weighed down. When I am able to shift towards the positive side, all of that goes in the opposite direction.
So I would like to challenge each of you to spend the day monitoring if you are looking at things from a half-full glass approach or a half-empty glass approach. If you find yourself on the half-empty side, work at moving over to the half-full side. I would suspect that you will find yourself much more energized if you do so.
Since today is supposed to be the warmest day of the week, and we are seeing the melting of the snow and a little reprieve from winter’s cold, I thought I would share this music video. It also hopefully gets all of us thinking that spring is really not that far away.
You can definitely feel it in the air this morning. With the wind blowing more intensely, the moisture in the air from over twenty-four hours of rain, and the gray skies, you know that the weather is changing to a different season. It also helps that there are tons of colored leaves that lay scattered upon the ground which have fallen from the trees above. Autumn is truly upon us and hints of winter are starting to arrive already.
As I thought about these changes in weather and seasons this morning, I pondered the effect of change upon our lives. I am the first to admit that I dislike the change from spring and summer to fall and winter. I do not enjoy the colder temperatures and the regularity of cloudy skies that seem to accompany this time of year. So for me, some changes are less than enjoyable. When I encounter this type of change, I tend to see an adjustment in my attitude. I have to work harder to remain positive and to vision into the future. These are not impossible tasks but I do realize that they take more deliberate effort when my attitude goes in this direction.
Some changes in life are more enjoyable. I greatly enjoy the arrival of spring and summer. You can probably easily understand why based upon my earlier comments. I find myself more upbeat and with an eagerness during those changes. When you are energized by change, you definitely see possibilities and opportunities.
What all of this says to me is that in regards to change, attitude is very crucial. I am the one who can impact my attitude the most. I can have an attitude of resistance and negativity in regards to changes in my life. Or I can have an attitude of possibilities and positivity as I encounter change. While I am not going to try to fool any of you into believing that choosing the later attitude is easy when I am not eager for the change, it still is possible.
Life is full of change. A change is generally always coming. The question is what to do with that change.
The first cold snap of the fall has arrived today. The cool wind from the north is a not-so-gentle reminder that winter awaits us. All I want to do is scream, “I AM NOT READY YET!” I am becoming less and less enamored with winter; the cold temperatures, biting winds, and endless snow. So I would like to delay the onset of winter as long as possible. This cold temperature change is not giving me confidence in a delay.
As I thought about not being ready for winter, I began to turn to what types of life experiences that most of us truly are not ready for even though we have no control over their arrival. I would have to admit that I am sure that I truly was not ready to be a parent. While the concept of having a baby seemed a bit exciting, I had no idea what lay ahead for me as a parent. There truly have been great joys which accompanied having children but there also have been some challenges and frustrations.
I was talking with some college students yesterday and they were discussing what changes awaited them when they graduated from college. I indicated to them that there would be some wonderful aspects of making this transition in their lives. I also mentioned that there would be some challenges which they would have to encounter. One of the significant changes would be in all the decisions which they would have to make and the reduction of “things being provided for them.” Again, I would say that I was not ready yet for this transition when I was younger (although at the time I thought I was more than ready) but I managed through the challenges and grew in the process.
So while I am not ready yet for colder weather and the changes which accompany the temperature change, I will be able to manage through it. Just as I manage through temperature changes, I can and will manage through whatever life changes may lay ahead for me whenever they occur. Even if I AM NOT READY YET!
This morning has proven to be a very cool Autumn day. There is a pretty strong breeze and the temperatures started out in the low 30’s. I actually got out my winter coat as I prepared to leave the house this morning. I am not ready for Winter to arrive!!! I have come to find that I grow a bit older in age, I dislike winter (and especially the cold) more and more. I have lived in the Midwest all of my life so you would think that I would be use to this colder weather, and I probably am, but I even though I am used to it, I don’t have to like it.
So I decided that I either could just whine about the colder weather (which I still may do) or I could try to find a positive about it. As I was walking to the coffee shop this morning, I realized how the cold breeze seemed to awaken me. I felt like the breeze was trying to remind me that I am alive. The crispness is like a jolt of energy that says, “wake up and experience the day.”
Now, I still am not extremely happy about the colder temperatures but I am grateful for the reminder that “I’M ALIVE.”
I know that it is fall and today even feels a little like winter but I am thinking about spring. More specifically, I am thinking about the little sprouts of life that occur in spring. The little flowers that almost overnight appear after a long winter. The signs of hope and life that renew our understanding of life’s cycles.
There are some weeks that can appear barren and that seem to be absent of a sign of hope. In the times that we are currently living, there appears to be endless signs of despair and conflict. Whether it is the economic struggles or the unending bickering among politicians, you have to question how we will ever come out on a positive side. The continuous reports of war, crime and destruction can be overwhelming so we often become numb to even hearing about it. In our personal lives we often find that for every step forward we make, we seem to take two steps backward. I talk with many individuals and I hear these stories and struggles on a daily basis.
So how do we make it through these times and where do we find hope? I have discovered that it can appear at the most unexpected time and in the most unexpected manner. Much like the little sprout that appears at the start of spring, hope and strength to manage through life just seems to pop up. It is found in words shared by a friend or a stranger. It may appear in an unplanned event.
Much like I understand the dynamics and source of that sprout in the spring, I understand the true source of this hope. The Lord is the source and he is the one that works through people and situations to bring this hope to our attention. Another awesome aspect of the Lord being the source of hope is that the Lord is an unending supply of hope.
So if you feel like you are in the barren winter of life, if you are going through a time where hope seems elusive, turn to the source of hope — the LORD. And keep your eyes open for that little sprout that reminds you of that hope.
thoughtfulbeliever 