Life is interesting. It can contain the greatest blessings and the most difficult challenges. Today, I want to share about dealing with challenges.
The last few weeks have been incredibly challenging for me. Between illness, holidays, rent increases, snow, and cold weather, I sometimes wonder when the sun will shine again — figuratively and physically!
What I do know is it is not the circumstances we live in; it is our attitude about them that determines how we react.
Rev. Jacquin Fernandez talks about this in her Unity Magazine January/February article:
Our thoughts are filled with assumptions, judgment (of self or others), and information gaps that we unconsciously fill with ideas handed to us by family or society. Consider the thought pattern you replay about self or other or circumstances, and then 70 other possibilities… The opportunity available to us is to actively seek other options outside of our thought patterns until we experience an awakening.
So many of our ‘challenges’ in life are amplified by how we think about them.
When we lost our home and belongings to a wildfire, I remembered looking to find the goodness of life. I needed something to be thankful for. And when I looked for it, I did find it! Living through that experience cemented my faith in the power of gratitude.
No matter what life and circumstances throw at me, something good always comes out of it — if I look for it.
Today, in particular, reinforced that belief.
We, along with many others around the country, are experiencing some severe weather. Looking out my window, I see giant snowflakes falling on top of the 4-6 inches already on the ground. Sure, we have snow here, but after several days of sub-zero temperatures (a bit unusual), I rejoiced at the warming trend ( in the double digits ABOVE zero). But with it came more snow and more time indoors and off the roadways.
In the midst of all of this, I discovered one of my two prescription medications needed refilling. No problem, I thought. I would call the pharmacy and have them ship it to me. But when I called for the refill, I discovered (thank goodness I had the forethought to ask) that my medication increased by 2.5 times what I paid last time. Oh wow!
I started making calls to pharmacies around the area and finally found one that would transfer and refill my prescription and also allow me to pay via their app so it could be shipped. Maybe it was not a huge win, but something good happened because I looked for it (literally).
The statement, “Change your thinking, change your life,” is not just a cute little saying; it is the truth! Instead of being bummed out, I chose to ‘treat and move my feet’ instead of giving into despair.
I hope this will inspire you when you are dealing with challenges. As it is said, there is always a rainbow behind the clouds!