2016 - Year of Perspective

Yesterday I celebrated my birthday with mixed feelings. Coming up to the date, I was excited to celebrate another year but the closer I got to the 29th, a sort of fear mixed with disappointment took over. As I sorted through my feelings I realised the following: I was fearful, because I am cognisant of the fact that, not many live to celebrate as many years as I celebrated yesterday and disappointed because I felt like I didn't do a good enough job to celebrate the journey here.

Don't get me wrong, I had a decent enough day, filled with messages from people who add value to my life...

So... I started writing this from June 30th as you can tell from above and somehow couldn't finish it until now.

I want to share with you a little bit on perspective, the difference between being average and being great. Question:

Which one are you:
1. Are you a glass half full type of person?
Or
2. Are you a glass half empty type of person? 

The difference is perspective. Circumstances (if we let them) have a way of leading us down paths we never intended to take.  So many of us on this journey develop a victim mentality not realising that we have the power to choose how we experience every single single situation we come across.

“ Perspective, the difference between being average and being great.”

The past two years I have been on a training course, one if I am honest, for majority of the time I thought I didn't sign-up for. But in actuality, I did sign-up for it because I made a pledge not to live a mediocre life. This meant that challenges and disappointments were inevitable to shape my mind and heart into that of an overcomer, in to that of winner. 

“We have the power to choose how we experience every single single situation we come across.”

2014

I thought failing was the end of world, the end of the line for me. I could not see how I could bounce back from this one, I couldn't see how I would be able to finish the race strong. Failure and for most of the time the thought of failure paralysed me. It constructed a mental wall longer than the Great Wall of China in my eyes. Fear of failure made me doubt the GOD in me. I truly didn't know how I could function after this.

But Perspective. Fast forward. India. While preparing for a course I would deliver to over 30 young people in India, a line from one of my favourite artist began to ring loud in my heart. The line serenaded me like a messenger from Heaven, it heralded over and over again, "Failing is just an excuse for me to get better".  I would be lying if I said that after that my life became gravy. Fighting to see things from different perspectives than what I am used to was and is a daily battle.

“Failing is just an excuse for me to get better.”

2016

Last night I watched a sermon by Steven Furtick called "What about the worm?'' and it could not have come at a better time. One of the things he points out is that we must be carefully how soon we share our story because when we share it too soon we might share it from the wrong perspective. See, I couldn't share my story with you when I first started writing this entry because it was too soon. I have new lens now.

You can choose to see the storm you are in as unnecessary or even curse God for allowing it to happen. Or you can choose to see the storm as God's way of making you a skilled sailor. The choice is yours. And thats the beauty of perspective. We always have a choice.

How will you choose to see the issues you are tackling now? I choose to see mine as my training ground.

“You can see the storm you are in as unnecessary or even curse God for allowing it to happen. Or you can see the storm as God’s way of making you a skilled sailor.”