Perspective

I'm sitting at the gym watching a class of four year olds run a "torch" around the gym (with no clue they are exercising!) Its Olympics day at gymnastics. Got me thinking about perspective. Mainly because of the heavy guilt trip this moment gave me, for not having been to gym myself in ... lets just say a while. ha.

Perspective energizes people. Motivates their desires and justifies their distastes. Perspective is the point of view by which you live. And anyone who thinks their perspective is not affecting their actions is blind to the influence sight holds.

The young 21 year old who lost his life this past week on the lunge course for the Olympics had a perspective that lead him to not only his death, but his life as well. His perspective was on the gold. Realistically he was fearful of the journey, but his perspective gave him courage. Although it is a sad story and a hard concept to swallow, that young boy deserves to be admired. His perspective motivated him past his fear. It landed him on an Olympian team at the age 21!

Perspective allows a grieving mother stand before a huge crowd of tear filled gazes and speak of how blessed she was to be her daughter's mother for 12 years. Perspective that her daughters passing was not loss in entirety, it was also a blessed gain. Perspective reveals the lives that were affected and the love shared. Perspective gave her not only closure, but confidence that her daughter was in a better place!

As teams face their rivals and people face their fears, when sick face their disease and marriage faces destruction, perspective causes that next step. However, perspective can cause you to step back as easily as it can drive you to step forward. You choose which perspective you will take.

Albert Einstein mentioned that "In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity." Perspective gives you the discernment to see it. Perspective gives the strength to pursue it. Perspective gives you the motivation to claim it!

Alexander Duma made an incredible point when he said "There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state to another, nothing more. He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness. We must have felt what it is to die, that we may appreciate the enjoyments of life." Although we all have a story, we all develop a perspective from it. We can choose to see life through bitter retaliation or hopeful expectation. It is only when your heart experiences true heartbreak or a difficult trials, that you value the blessings and the benefits of life. With out the valleys the mountain tops aren't nearly as majestic!

Breath in a perspective today that allows you to live life to its fullest!