January 1, 2022

“. . . I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation . . . .” Philippians 4:12 (NIV)

Happy New Year, dear readers. May this be your best year ever!

With that in mind, do you need a change?

Many use January first as opportunity for a resolution project—such as weight loss, a new job, or to do something different in a relationship.

With these aspirations in the crosshairs, the aim is clear, dedication and resolve unwavering. At least initially. The desire for change is not debatable, but sustainability may be.

However, let’s not talk about how to set achievable, behavioral goals. Rather, let’s focus on:

A different realm of change . . .

While each of the above desires may be worthwhile, perhaps the most benefit does not lie in the ultimate aim or gain.

The heart and soul of change exists in an alteration of perspective, a makeover of attitude.

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”—George Bernard Shaw

Perhaps it’s not weight we need to lose, but rather a shift in self-perception.

Maybe getting a different job isn’t the answer, but rather readjusting our mindset of what we don’t and do like about our employment is our best bet.

And if we have a “sandpaper” person in our life—i.e. one who rubs us the wrong way—the bottom line is we can’t change that person but only our response to and how we view him or her. For example, are we taking everything (s)he says personally, thus coming away disgruntled, irritated, or angry?

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”—Maya Angelou

Some things we can change. People we cannot. But the good news is, we do have the power to transform ourselves.

Change our perceptions . . . change our worlds.

We can’t always recalibrate storms around us. But we can amend our view of those tempests. In doing so, we gain inner acceptance and peace. Yay and amen that we do have control over our thoughts!

In a nutshell, it’s all about perception and what view we choose to hold onto. Which reminds me of the following story with which you may be familiar.

The Cross Room

The man dropped to his knees in prayer.

“Lord, I can’t go on. I have too heavy a cross to bear.”

The Lord replied, “My child, if you can’t bear its weight,

leave your cross beyond this gate,

then pick any other cross you wish.”

“Thank you, Lord,” the man sighed.

Some crosses loomed so large their tops weren’t visible,

others so burdensome they simply weren’t liftable.

The man spotted a tiny cross propped against a far wall.

“I’d like that one, Lord, from these all.”

The Lord drew the man near.

“My son, that’s the cross you brought in here.”

Author unknown

 

Altering our view of things is one way of being content no matter what the circumstances.

In writing this, I asked God to shine a light on where I need an attitude adjustment. How faithful He is! With a fine-tuning of a few of my perspectives and thoughts, I already feel lighter and more peace. But it’s not one and done, at least as far as my own efforts. It’s a daily deal. Just this morning my not-so-positive thoughts strayed to someone in my life. But unlike as before, I nipped those brainwaves in the bud and replaced them with positive ones.

Yep, I can’t change that person, but I sure can change me. How empowering that is!

What thoughts do you need to change in order to be happier or more content?

With that in “mind,” (pardon the pun), may this be your best year yet!

Prayer:

Father, God, I want to delight in you and what you have for me. Please help me change my desires to those which will bring me peace and calm within my storms.

Thoughts for Today:

“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.”—Oprah Winfrey

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”—Rumi