Despite the title of today’s entry, isn’t about religion. It is about consciously setting the tone for the day when we wake up.

We have a choice on what we allow into our minds at any time. Perhaps you have pressing financial, business, personal and other challenges going on in your life right now. Sometimes these events make for a difficult start of your day.

Upon waking up, your mind is immediately focused on the challenges ahead and your stomach is flooded with dread. Perhaps you’re thinking about how you were passed over for a promotion last week, the large overdraft in your checking account as a result of an unexpected expense, a serious medical situation in your family or how someone abused your trust yesterday. Ever been there at one time or another? I have.

And it “ain’t easy.”

What helps me is knowing that I am doing just fine at that very moment despite the difficult challenges. I remind myself that I am still alive and healthy with a roof over my head. I have my family and friends who I can count on. I also know I will have breakfast, lunch and dinner that day. If I need to travel somewhere, my trusty Honda will get me there. No matter how tough things become, this line of thinking has always gotten me through.

Getting up in the morning and adjusting the mind set is what I call “faith alignment.” It’s about having faith that no matter what is happening, it’s only temporary. It shall pass.

And you know what? It always does!

Another thing that helps is knowing that there is a lesson behind every challenge. I ask myself “what can I learn from this experience?” rather than “why is this happening to me?”

For instance, I learned two things from the barber situation. One was exercise in self control and the other was acting on my intuition without any evidence to support it.

We have a choice in how we deal with adversity in its midst. Have you ever heard of the expression, “love your enemies?” Well, I admit I still have a long way to go on that but I did manage to say to the barber, “I hope you feel better” on the way out and truly meant it from the bottom of my heart. I chose to write about it in my blog exactly the way it happened, without any form of judgement, which I found therapeutic. I learned how to remain still in another person’s firestorm and not be pulled into the drama. And finally, I learned that because I brushed aside my intuition to leave the barbershop without any supporting evidence, I paid the price for ignoring it.

Know this: adversity is a matter of perception. It is how you perceive things that will determine the final outcome. You can chose to go around and wail to those poor souls who will listen to you or you can make a decision to perceive it as a series of lessons to be learned. With the latter, you come away knowing that the adversial experiences are meant to prepare you for the future in some way, form or shape. Rather than bemoan your situation, you actually become thankful for the experience. Imagine how much better you’ll feel when you get up in the morning if you had that line of thinking. Instead of dreading what’s ahead, you’ll be looking forward to tackling the day’s challenges with vigor and enthuasism!

I’m not saying you shouldn’t be upset and repress your thoughts. Certainly you should voice your feelings, speak the truth and get it out of your system. Maybe even stand up to your attackers and risk personal injury. But there is a difference having a constructive attitude versus a destructive attitude.

Why not just keep “buggering on”? (Source: Winston Churchill)

Food for thought: Are you experiencing adversity right now? If so, how are you choosing to perceive it? Have you given yourself a faith realignment of sorts?

If you liked this post and you want to be notified of the next one, subscribe via Email or Full Text RSS Feed. I would love to have you as part of the community!