Happy Trials :-)

"A quality life is God's greatest wish for us. Life is to be lived well in what every circumstance we find ourselves. There should not be a waiting period."

Often in my life I have come across the "why me", "if only", "how come", "it's not fair", and the "I just don't get it" thoughts. This year I have made it a GOAL to become a better...happier version of myself. In doing so I am teaching myself to think differently about outcomes, pain, and doubt. Over the years and though the woods of my trials I have accumulated a lot experience in several areas of life. Why?? is a question I have asked God and myself many times when I was in dire need of answers. Why was that circumstance necessary and why did it have to happen to me?  Just when all seems to be going right, challenges often came in multiple doses applied simultaneously. When trials were not consequences of my bad choices, I know it was evidence that God felt I was more prepared to grow. To get me from where I was to where He wanted me to be required a lot of stretching, and that generally entailed discomfort and pain. I know trials are necessary to teach me and test me but I also think part of the test is to see what I make of those trials later on down the road. Am I bitter in the midst of a trial or do I try to find the lesson in disguise? There is ALWAYS something to learn from trials. God isn't just bored and picking on me for the heck of it. He is shaping me into someone. 

I am a deep thinker. I have a very good emotional, empathetic memory.... meaning, I may not remember the details of circumstances, but I remember how things made me feel. I am also a very extroverted demonstrative person. I am very open with my feelings and I am not afraid to share them. Truth is sharing them is extremely therapeutic for me. Because I am this way.... I have realized the "why" of so many hardships I have had myself or experienced with others close to me. Yes to grow, but also so I can use those hardships and the knowledge I've gained from them to help others.... in a very positive way. Everyone needs someone and when you are in the depths of despair, what better to have than a friend thats been there. I am not a therapist nor an expert on the way things should be. I am however a walking example of what is possible....of what hard can become. 

Happiness is a choice. Forgiveness is a choice. Choosing to not be offended is a choice. Saying the first "Hello" is a choice. Making these choices every day brings me peace. I don't do awkward well. If I feel tension in the air I try to address it. If I am unclear about something I do whatever I can to understand it. I pick a lot of brains because I don't want to jump to false assumptions. Relationships with people I love are important to me so having a secure, healthy line of communication with a solid foundation is important to me. 

So taking the positive approach has been so GOOD for me. Looking for the lesson, learning from the past, and embracing for the future has changed my life. All by simply changing the way I look at things :-)