Christmas evening we had hurricane force winds that brought down trees and took our electric power away until the following Friday. I ended up with a cold that lasted all week, so I was in bed during most of that time. Last year the same kind of storm had power off for four days starting New Year’s Eve. Some of last year’s downed trees are still waiting to be cut up.
The power went off again briefly on Saturday, though they’ve removed the tree that was blocking our street and things seem to be back to normal. (I write more about this in my Gratitude Blog.)
Last Thursday we were supposed to get another heavy storm. Instead, it was sunny and clear – truly beautiful, as only the Northern Coast can be in the middle of winter – from Wednesday through Saturday.
There are many ways we can look at challenges. For four days we had no electricity, which usually means no water (we’re on a well), and we have no natural gas here. We are rather used to it up here, since it happens a few times every year. It’s still an inconvenience lugging in rainwater and wood for the stove!
However, being ill anyway, I slept most of the time, which kept me warm. I wasn’t very hungry, so didn’t have to turn the Coleman stove on very much. By the time I was feeling better (Thursday), it was sunny enough for me to go lay out on the chaise lounge with a down comforter over me and sit in the sun for about an hour. And the well seemed to keep enough pressure that we could use the water sparingly in between turning our generator on for a couple of hours each evening. I guess having to replace the pressure tank last summer actually worked to our advantage!!
I recommend you think about Robert Ringer’s quote (below) next time you are faced with things going in a direction you don’t expect:
“Since every negative has an offsetting positive built into it, and vice versa, you always have a choice as to whether to focus on the abundance or the scarcity in your life. My firsthand experience has convinced me beyond all doubt that if you want more negatives in your life, all you need to do is think about the negatives that already exist.
“Likewise, if you want more positives in your life, focus on the positives that you already have. You’ll be amazed at the number of new positives that will almost magically make their way into your life as the result of focusing on the positive side of the equation.”
As this new year unfolds for you, think about what you want more of in your life. I challenge you to decide that this is the year you focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want or don’t yet have.
As long as you’re looking at what isn’t here yet and measuring your success or happiness based on the fact you don’t yet have something, you are focusing your attention on the negativity of lack.
Instead, you can determine that you will be grateful for what you do have and the rest will be made available to you at the right and proper time – when you have stopped putting up resistance and have thus gotten out of your own way.