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Life through our eyes
The other day, I was reading a story about an old woman sitting on a bench at an intersection. A man approached her and she learned that he came from another place and wanted to have a new life in the next town. He asked her about the town he was going to, and the woman asked him, "What was it like in the town you left?" He answered, "It was good. My neighbors were very kind and the place is good to be in. It's just that I lost my wife and I want to move on to another place and start again." The woman answered, "That town you are going to is the same." Then the man merrily went on his way.
Another man approached the woman and asked about the same town that the other man went to. "What was it like in the town that you left?" the woman asked the man. He said, "Oh, my neighbors were terrible. Nobody was helpful. They were all spiteful. It was not good to live in." The woman replied, "Well, that's the same in that town that you are going to."
The story reminded me that we have a relative way of viewing things around us. If our heart and mind are full of negativities, wherever we go, all we can see are the negative side of things and we'll feel like victims. We become spiteful. But if we prefer to look at the positive side of things, we experience its goodness, too.
When an employer raises his or her voice at you for a mistake, instead of calling him or her names, try to understand that he or she is just doing his or her job or may be having a difficult time; accept that you deserve to be chastised if you indeed make a mistake.
When two people whisper at each other and you are left out, it doesn't necessarily mean they are talking bad about you.
When someone corrects you, instead of thinking of it as an insult, think of it as constructive criticism, a chance for self-analysis.
If you seem to be filled with so many expenses, don't think of the money that's been taken from you. Think about that there is money coming in so you could pay the said expenses.
When an ambulance is rushing, instead of thinking, "Pati ka na, gusto nya na lang na ma-una sa traffic. Wala da pasenyente ah!" why not just pray for the people inside it. Who knows, your prayers could save a life.
If someone gossips to you about another person, it doesn't necessarily mean what was said is true.
If a former beauty queen loves to strut around in her swimwear while at one hotel's poolside or men flock around her, it doesn't mean she's selling herself.
Instead of thinking of a glass as half empty, think of it as half full.
Positive thinking can be a challenge. There are times when our resolve to think positively will be tested. A broken relationship, a betrayal, an illness --- just about anything that could lead us to wake up every morning with a heavy heart. And "thinking positively" becomes an easier-said-than-done phrase.
But there are several rewards for always forcing yourself to see the positive side of things. It makes us more forgiving, hopeful and calm.
Perhaps our prayer for good health wasn't answered, but we do have other blessings like time left to do the things we want to enjoy. Perhaps our prayer for a perfect marriage wasn't answered either, but hey, you may be gifted with loving and talented children. One's prayer for material riches may have fallen on deaf ears, but you might be enjoying a great family that showers you with love and care. Your prayer for a partner may remain unanswered but perhaps you were blessed with enough time and energy to touch other people's lives.
Things may not work out the way we want it to be and this could dishearten us.
Yes, several things dishearten me once in a while – big ones and small ones, replacing my usual smile with a sad look. Then, small miracles happen again, and I begin to think of the blessings amid the concerns. Then the smile comes back again.
We'll all be okay ... if not in this life, maybe in another life.
By thinking positively, life will remain beautiful no matter what our circumstances are.
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QUOTE. God always finds a way when you think there's no other way.
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