Gain Perspective

Good can come from anything…it all depends on how you view it.

Horrible things can certainly happen to good people. Children are abused, wives are beaten, men are assaulted by police officers, cancer strikes millions, natural disasters level communities…sadness, grief, violence and loss are all around us. There is nothing good about these events. Let me just be very clear about that. Yet, in every experience we can actually find hidden treasure.

For example, I read some research recently that shows that there are people diagnosed with HIV who would say it was a catalyst for good. It made them reassess their goals and their values and the life that they lead after being diagnosed is far better than the one before. Why? Because this negative event was a pressure point for them to make very positive life changes. It can easily be a pressure point for devastation as well but the choice is ours.

I can say that despite chronic childhood abuse, once I was able to work through the pain of those events and lay them to rest as mere historical facts…they serve me well in every moment of my life. How? Because I understand more, know more, see more, and feel more for those with which I come into contact. It made me the incredibly strong person I am today. Was the abuse “good?” Of course not. But the place of peace and strength that these hardships forced me into are very good indeed.

We often cannot control what befalls us. Life may come barreling toward you with a vengeance. But how you react to those events is totally in your control. It does, however, require skills and that is what this site is all about!