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The Power of Perspective

As I was having a conversation with someone who recently fell on some hard times, something very important occurred to me.  This person recently lost their job; during our conversation I learned that they were very upset. Basically they felt that they had done a lot for the employer and got a hosing in return.




My husband and I had a conversation about this afterward. During the time of employment, this individual was subject to periodic layoffs due to lack of work. The employer offered an education program for the employees to attend whether they were laid of or not.  They employer paid for health care premiums for those laid off as long as they attended the educational program.  With respect to my friend, this pattern continued over a couple of years...

Why did my friend not see the positives here?  It was difficult for me  comprehend that he could not see that his employer was actually pretty generous in many ways.  My friend did not seem grateful for the opportunity for  advanced education, or the fact that his healthcare premiums were paid for him.  I concluded that much of life, good or bad, has to do with the lens through which we look at our situation.   In this case, there was nothing personal about the temporary layoffs or the final permanent layoff, yet this person decided to see things that way.

I ask those who have problems with chronic pain--what is your perspective on your situation?  Do you feel that it's a form of punishment by a higher power, or bad karma?  Or do you believe that it's just one of life's trials?  Some people choose to focus on the negatives, others on the positives.  This choice has much to do the quality of every day life...so, choose wisely my friends!

Image source: wikipedia

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