Perspective

Funny how you can see the exact same situation in different ways. It all depends on your perspective. From inconvenience to opportunity. From mine to yours or ours. From positive to negative. Example, my child just asked if she could turn on the tube. The tube happens to be next to me, my computer & Miles Davis. Who I am happily listening to on CD. It’s been three weeks since my last blog. Three weeks since I had a chance to vent, pontificate & reflect. My perspective was not of opportunity, yours/ours or positive. Request. May I please interrupt your infrequent solitude to turn on the tube. Now, after I huffed "No, I haven’t blogged in 3 weeks. Could you please wait?" I turned and looked at my first five sentences. Humph. Preaching to myself. I sigh. Surprisingly my child (who is actually the writer) says "Ok." Thank you Dr. Lehman!! You are brilliant! More on him later. Just a note, in about ten to fifteen years, please look through your local book store. Ask for any books by Emily Daily, and there you will find a truly funny, intelligent & witty experience. And my fervent pray is that I will not be included in the book!
Steven Covey, author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People talks about this. Paradigm shift I think he calls it. The idea is that you can look at a situation, sum it up. Then through new information or a Paradigm shift/new perspective you will have a completely different picture than what you started with.
It’s truly amazing! Pastor Will Oswald of Journey Church was talking about this, this morning. The idea of perspective in relation to money. I had totally forgotten this concept. I used to live by it. Like most things, I forgot. Money is all God’s anyway. He gives us everything we have, materially and ability. I am just the steward.
Steward - a person who takes responsibility to make decisions and take actions today that will allow resources to be maintained in a healthy manner.
I wish I could find Pastor Will’s definition. But, this will do. To hear his definition listen to this http://www.thejourneyonline.com/ look up April 19, 09 "Play Your Hand". It’s a great sermon! It changed my perspective. Hopefully I’ll remember this time. And apply it to everything in my life. My child, God’s money, the abilities He has given me, how I use my time and even McKenzie. (See pervious blog)
Now, if only I could apply "perspective" to my increasing wrinkles, sagging arms, loss of muscle and desire to run again. I guess I’ll chalk that up to opportunities.
*Note: Dr. Kevin Lehman is a wonderful Christian psychologist, humorist and author. The book I was referring to earlier Have A New Kid By Friday which sounds terrible but it’s a great book!