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| Image courtesy of Stephen Tainton |
Two men fell on hard times. Try as they might, they
couldn’t find work. They heard that a museum was willing to pay $50 apiece for
live rattlesnakes so, in desperation, they decided to catch snakes.
Outfitted with a net and basket, they hiked to a remote
area renowned for its large snake population. But as they scaled a steep ledge,
rock gave way and they tumbled down a slippery bank – into a deep pit crawling
with rattlesnakes.
One of the men quickly sized up the situation and shouted
to his friend, “Look! We’re rich! We’re rich!”
Okay, maybe he didn’t fully appreciate his predicament. But
in most situations, I believe there is a sunny side. Take aging, for instance.
As we grow older, our skin turns from satin to cotton to seersucker to
corduroy. And though we might be encouraged that at least wrinkles don’t hurt, valuable
experience, deep understanding and hard-won wisdom can also come with years of
living. Some people are merely aging – others are “sageing.” The difference is
in outlook.
It has to do with how we consider our situation. Like a
sign spotted outside a quaint shop: “We buy junk. Antiques for sale.” I wonder,
is my attic full of junk or antiques? What about my life? I’m learning it’s a
matter of perspective; it’s a matter of how I want to look at what comes my way. And
it’s also a matter of choice, because perspective is something I choose more
often than I realize.
I’ve learned that my greatest power may well be my power
to choose my outlook. As Abraham Lincoln wisely said, “Most people are about as
happy as they make up their minds to be.” The truth is, I can choose to view tough
times as growing times, I can choose to see aging as seasoning and I can choose
to focus on whatever good there is to be found in living.
I choose. After all, it’s MY point of view.
-- Steve Goodier
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