By Linda Clevenger, Organization Direct
What would you do if . . .
• You had to do without something that you thought was absolutely crucial to your well-being?
• You needed something that was just not within your budget?
• You experienced a real life tragedy?
Each one of these scenarios has probably happened to you at some point in your life. In the first scenario – having to do without something that you thought was absolutely necessary or crucial to your well-being – can be a real eye-opener as to what is really important. I have really enjoyed stepping back and taking a hard look at material items that, to some, are absolutely necessary. To me, I’m like…whatever!
What if you had to do without _____________. You fill in the blank with something that fits into your current lifestyle. It may be something as simple as Coke or Pepsi! Or, it may be something such as cable television (I know a lot of friends who don’t have cable in their home). In my world…less is more! And, I promise you that there are some things in your everyday life that you think you can’t do without…but you can.
What would you do if you needed something that just was not within your budget? With the economy taking a turn several years ago, it became very evident to a lot of people that they were going to have to make some changes in their life. We were one of those families. We became more budget conscious than normal, I call myself frugal (not cheap) and we found ways to make and do more with less money. And, guess what…we ended up spending a lot more time together which made everyone happy!
Lastly, what if you or your family experienced a tragedy? We can’t plan for tragedies. We can’t predict tragedies and we definitely don’t want them to happen….but they do. And how we handle them will totally predict the outcome.
When life takes a turn that you hadn’t considered (and definitely didn’t plan for) take a step back and realize that even though you may be devastated and feel beaten down, there is a reason that it has happened. And not only is there a reason but there is a Blessing that you just can’t see right at the moment. This is also a time that you will discover true friendship and fake friendship.
I know that I could write a book about my business experiences and life experiences, especially over the last seven years and share with you how I have personally overcome adversity and struggles. Maybe I’ll make that a goal for 2015…we’ll see.
In the meantime, what I will say is don’t be defeated. Stand strong with a positive attitude and transform yourself into the person that you know is deep inside of you – you may just not have found her/him yet.
Even as I write this blog, I received a text that a person very near and dear to me just received some awesome news. All the text said is, “I passed.” Enough said….because attitude is everything.
Read more of Linda’s columns at this link
Editor’s Note: The views expressed by contributing writer’s are their own and may not necessarily reflect the views of Fredericksburg.Today.
