Consider this...
For years I have parked my car at my Mother's place when in town to visit. Her driveway is starting to show signs of aging with numerous splits, breaks and cracks in the various concrete sections. I've always been amazed how weeds in particular have grown in between some of the tiniest of fissures.
After parking my car there on a recent visit something different and quite beautiful caught my eye. It was a small but incredibly bright group of purple pansies. I thought it was kinda strange that this particular flower made it's wonderful presence known without the fanfare that would typically be reserved for a garden.
As I stood above this little cluster of horticultural bliss a rather profound thought occurred to me...these flowers had a tremendous struggle to reach the surface and then live side by side amongst the weeds.
You see the struggle for these flowers was no more or less than the weeds. The difference being is the flowers managed to come out of their struggle with a noticeable beauty. What a great metaphor for life!
We all have struggles and may feel the weight of the world on our shoulders yet it's how we go about handling these challenges that matters most. Charles Swindoll said it best: "Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it." How very very true!
Why is it that so many people come out of tough situations looking tired and beat down while others come out of similar scenarios with a smile and even joy on their faces? Simply put the way a person perceives a problem is what will dictate the outcome at the end of the day.
Set the table for success and you will tackle the toughest battles in life with a grace like manner. I have witnessed first hand how a friend who was diagnosed with terminal cancer fought back with positive thought and won!!! I have also witnessed the opposite attitude displayed by individuals when going through health related issues and watched with great sadness as they gave up and wished death upon themselves.
We all have a choice in our lives as to how we will handle life's curveballs. Personally speaking, I would rather step up to the plate and strike out than sit in the dugout and tell myself I could never hit one out of the park!
So be mindful the next time you are going through a tough time that how you think, look at, talk about, ponder and approach things will ultimately determine the outcome.
Choose to be like those amazing pansies and never give up because there's a beauty that surfaces from within that everyone will stop and take notice of.
Stay positive no matter what and make a difference in this world!
