A Little Perspective, please.

Optimist?  Half Full? Susie Sunshine?
Pesimist? Half Empty? Eeyore?

I also believe in another category. The ostrich; he/she sticks their head in the sand, scared, but pretending that nothing bad will happen. My husband calls this army tactics, that if you can't see the bad guy, that bad guy cannot see you. While we call it different things, we agree that these coping tactics rarely work.

Realist.  There is water in the glass. Fact.

I didn't find out that realism was an option until my senior year of high school.  I liked the idea of focusing on what is rather than worrying about all the gloom and doom or thinking it would all work our perfectly. 

I appreciate the optimists, pesimists and ostriches in my life. The help me be real.  They help me to have perspective in this crazy world. 

It is important for us all to remember on days of work set-backs, sick children, mac and cheese for dinner, car accidents, being stuck in traffic... that life isn't all that bad. Keep in mind that work is just work and can be better tomorrow, illnesses will pass, dinner will be better another day and your commute will be lighting fast on the way home.  Problems, irritants, frusterations and stress can often go depart as quickly as they arrive.  For work, I try to start fresh everyday, either with a clear desk or plan of attack for the next day.  For traffic, I stop listening to radio reports and turn on a favorite CD (worship songs, John Mayer, Kelly Clarkson, Colbie Callait) and go somewhere else in my head.  I was getting really angry for a couple evenings and really didn't like that about myself, especially knowing that Lincoln is in the car with me in the mornings.  I got an i.Pod shuffle for christmas and bought myself a car adapter so I just need to load it up and it will be my traffic solution.

I know that God has a plan for my life and the lives of my husband, son and our families.  I also know that trials, stuggles, adversity, poverty, pain, illness, sadness, brokenness, etc. are part of the human condition. It's those times that should bring us closer to our God and our faith. 

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.