Going along with the purpose of La Porte County Life, this column will only focus on the good, which is my piece of advice today. You alone have the power to choose what you see. You can see the beauty in others, or you can see the imperfections. You can see the blessings in your life, or you can see the downfalls. It is easy to fall into the rut of only seeing the negatives, but you will be filled with joy by slightly shifting how you view each situation. Perspective is the key to unlock a much happier life.
Take La Porte County as an example. I hear almost daily in my classroom how boring it is to live here and how students cannot wait to move away the very second they receive their diploma. They are choosing to see the negatives. I choose to see the incredible lakes sprawled out all over the county, including the beautiful Lake Michigan. I choose to see the historic and iconic homes up and down Indiana and Michigan Avenues. I choose to see the spacious parks with breathtaking trails. Most importantly, I choose to see the extraordinary and selfless people who live here who would not hesitate to help anyone. There is so much good to be found if we adjust our outlook.
Life is filled with adversity, but there are positives to be found in every hardship. Maybe you did not get the raise you wanted, but at least you have a job. Maybe your relationship fell apart, but it is probably so the right person can come along. Maybe your bank account is not overflowing with money, but you have a family who loves and support you, so you are, in fact, infinitely wealthy. Maybe you have none of that, but you can decide to make the best of what you do have. Absolutely everything in life is a choice. It’s simple to say, “Why me?” Choosing to see only the good in each situation takes strength.
Life is fleeting and can be taken away in a blink of an eye, so we should do our best to live and appreciate each moment instead of just merely being there or magnifying the negative. Norman Vincent Peale was quoted saying, “Change your thoughts and you change your world.” I could not agree more. The good will always follow those who look hardest for it.
Go do great things,
EP
*Your task is to tell me the beauty you see each day in La Porte County.