Stuff can go wrong

It’s a fact of life. We don’t get to choose all that life throws at us, but we do get to choose how we use it! We can choose to see what happens to us as good or bad, pleasant or distasteful, a blessing or a curse. It’s all a matter of how we choose to perceive things.

Jocko Willink, a retired decorated Navy Seal, is now a celebrated author and consultant on leadership and lessons learned from his Seal training. He gave a oft-quoted speech that explained how we can see everything that happens to us as good.

• Oh, the mission got canceled? Good… We can focus on another one.
• Didn’t get promoted? Good… More time to get better.
• Didn’t get the job you wanted? Good… We can go out, gain more experience, and build a better resume.
• Got beat? Good… We learned.
• Unexpected problems? Good… We have to figure out solutions.

Life does seem to throw stuff at us. But we are the ones who either decide to give up and let it bury us or to find something good in it. We can either bury our head in the sand and hope it goes away, or look it square in the eye and find a solution.

Easy to say, but significant effort was expended on a more personal level over all my years!

• Got divorced? Good… learned that I could make it on my own.
• Went bankrupt? Good… became much more financially savvy.
• Developed cancer? Good… so many friends came forward to show love and support.
• Widowed? Good… able to move forward as an independent senior with wonderful memories of the past.

These are always our choices. And choosing rightly, choosing to see the bad things as ultimately good, is all we can do. It’s what we must do.

Because people are depending on us. Because we believe in our ability to make it good. Because we have but one life to live.

So what choices are YOU willing to make? What will you refill your glass with?

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