Epiphany #6: It's All In Your Mind

Everyone has to deal with crisis at some time in their life. Many times a crisis involves more than one person. And yet, when we are in the same situation as someone else, we all experience the same crises differently. So what on earth makes the difference?

Of course we know that everyone has different life experiences, and we are made up of those experiences. We all have different personalities, so of course we all react differently to similar situations. But one thing really makes the difference, no matter who you are or where you come from. This difference is the way you think about the situation. I mean, really, the only difference between seeing a crisis as a stressor or a blessing is simply what you decide that it is. Take, for example, a house fire. This is obviously not a situation that you can change. You simply have a choice. You can decide to grieve for years over the rubble left behind, or proudly exclaim, "Well, now it's termite-free!" This may sound a little exotic, but I am trying to make a point. The situation itself did not change; only the attitude of the individual did. This truth can be liberating to all those who did not know they could make a choice. The uncomfortability can come when you recognize that you have the responsibility to choose.
We are not given our agency to stand on the sidelines and be acted upon. We need to choose to be positive, choose to be uplifting, and change the situation by changing your attitudes about it. When we do, we liberate ourselves, and ignite a chain reaction that allows others to see that they can change too.