You’ve come a long way

Photo by Joe Gardner on Unsplash

At a certain level, we know we all have plenty to be grateful for. A roof over our heads, food in our belly, and some money in the bank are just a few basics that come to mind. 

However, when we’re struggling with managing ‘all the things’ going on in our respective lives and the world simultaneously feels like it’s on fire, it’s easy to lose sight of our sense of security and gratitude.

Here’s a question to ask ourselves that might help…

Has my ability to deal with problems – financially & emotionally – improved over time?

For example…

Let’s say what you thought was a tiny leak in your roof quickly turns into you needing a new one. A small repair job suddenly becomes a much larger unexpected expense.

Without downplaying the current day impact, let’s add in some perspective.

Think back to when you first bought your house. You probably put down a big down payment and/or stretched a bit on the monthly mortgage payment just to make it happen. Perhaps you also left yourself a little ‘cash poor’ in the process. As thrilled as you were to get the house, you might have been equally stressed out by the financial undertaking that came with it.

Now how would you have felt if you had to replace your roof three months after you first moved in instead of right now? Comparatively speaking, I’m guessing that would have been a much scarier situation – both financially and emotionally.

Remember: you control the lens you choose to view your problems through.

Changing your lens won’t make the problem go away, but it can remind you that you’re much better equipped to deal with it than perhaps you would have been in the past.

I find it helps to remember that as we face and subsequently overcome problems in our lives, the better prepared we are to deal with whatever new problems come our way.