My Positive Attitude

Victor Frankl  wrote the book Man’s Searching for Meaning. In this book he describes the trials and tribulations of being in a concentration camp. He is stripped of everything: his money, his family, his possessions his clothing even his wedding band. The one thing that is not stripped from him is the one human freedom that can be stripped from none of us- His attitude. He describes in the book how his attitude saved his life. Attitude is everything but it doesn’t really show up until we are tested.

Several years ago when the book The Secret was published I must have been gifted about ten copies from friends who claimed that the book was just like me. Well since I had so many copies all at once I decided to listen to the book. At this point I was already blind and many people had given it to me on CD. I listened to the book and I must say, although I enjoyed it, it didn’t seem as if it was a “secret” to me. You see, my positive attitude comes from God and that to me is not a secret or anything new.

I was diagnosed with Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy in Dec of 2004. When the doctors told me that I would be blind forever I had a choice in attitude. I could chose to be bitter or better. Life is certainly difficult. Some of us are told we have a disease that causes blindness. Some of us lose our jobs and have terrible financial problems. Some of us have children addicted to drugs or alcohol  We are living in tough times and I don’t think anyone escapes. In fact, I know that no one escapes and has a perfect life. Here is one thing that I do know for sure. We are all going to face difficult times and each one of us will have many times of trials and tribulations. Strength comes from the word “dinimi” in Greek. This word “dinimi” is where the word dynamite comes from. If you allow God to help you through your trials and tribulations, he will put the strength of dynamite into your life.

Remember that no one can take away your attitude. In fact, if you allow god to help you through your difficult times he will give you the strength that you need to maintain your positive attitude. I know that life is difficult and often it seems too hard to bear, but those are the times when I make sure that my mind is positive, that my thoughts are always on great expectations and that my anxieties and fears are handed over to God. You see, everything happens in the perfect time so why cloud your mind and life with fear and anxiety? I do believe that God will heal my eyesight. It has been almost 8 years so do I know when or how? No, quite frankly, I don’t know either. But I wait patiently and trust that he will. I  guess that is my message for today. I am not sure what you are having difficulty with, but I do know that whatever it is, God is working in your life just as he is working in mine. Maybe you lost your job, maybe you were passed over for a promotion, well my attitude tells me that an even better job or bigger promotion will come along in the future.  So whether you have lost your eyesight, or lost anything else trust and be patient with God. Sometimes it is as simple as knowing that he just has to do a little work in our lives. One thing is for sure, none of us ever grow without these tests. So if you are in the middle of a test right now open your arms and your heart to God and make your life better not bitter.