virgin islands scene

Courage is the ladder on which all the other virtues mount.
-- Clare Boothe Luce
 

 

Saturday, March 31, 2001

Perspective

Most of the problems and frustrations you face on a daily basis are trivial when viewed in the overall context of your life. And though you know that, still you let even the smallest frustrations get you down.

How is that possible? The little things give you big headaches because they are right there in front of you on a moment-by-moment basis, dominating your attention. Though your life is filled with much more significant positive things, things such as your family, your faith, the beauty and abundance of the world around you, and your positive possibilities, those things can become so much a part of you that you take them for granted.

The good things in your life are so all-encompassing it’s easy to forget about them and focus on the trivial problems of the moment. Yet when you can back off from those frustrations and put them in perspective, you become much more effective at dealing with them. Plus you save yourself from a lot of unnecessary stress.

So the next time your computer crashes, or your car won’t start, or someone is late for an appointment with you, don’t let frustration get the best of you. Don’t let it ruin even a moment or two of your day. Instead, put it in perspective. Use the opportunity to remind yourself of all the good things in your life for which you can be truly thankful.

— Ralph Marston

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Copyright ©2001 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All Rights Reserved. The Daily Motivator is provided for your personal, non-commercial use only. Other than personal sharing, please do not re-distribute without permission.