perspective shift

Do not let your fire go out,
spark by irreplaceable spark,
in the hopeless swamps of the approximate,
the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all.
Do not let the hero in your soul perish,
in lonely frustration for the life you deserved,
but have never been able to reach.
Check your road & the nature of your battle.
The world you desired can be won.
It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is y o u r s.

Ayn Rand

I am finding out something about life that I wish I realized years ago. The life I live, & the direction I go in, is all based on my choices. Simple, yet so overlooked.
June 1st marked my first official day at LiNK as a Regional Manager. The last month I have worked more hours than I thought was humanly possible, but I do not regret a minute of it. I thoroughly enjoy my job, & the people I get to share everyday with; who walk alongside each other, sharing the same passion. It's a beautiful experience, & I am so grateful for it. However, with those long hours, & often stressful moments, I've found that it is so important to remain as positive as you can be, surrounding yourself with those who will encourage & uplift you. I am so blessed by those who have surrounded me with prayer, kind words, or even their presence in the last month. I am confident that it was because of those things that I made it through that rough month.

Back to the way we live our lives being a choice...
I have come to this point because I realized, I don't need stress in my life, it isn't a necessary attribute to function properly in life, in fact, it is a miserable component that I do not wish to take on. That goes with negative ambiance, personalities & drama. Working at LiNK has helped me to have this perspective shift. Life is so much bigger than the petty things we focus on. There is so much beauty & joy surrounding us, yet our negativity & pessimism shadow all of those great gifts in life.
I am no longer allowing negative people, ideas, or presence to bring me down, or be a part of my life. Call me brash, but I just feel if I can prevent a negative atmosphere around me, than I should.
I get to choose who I allow in it, & who I desire to share it with.
I am not naive, I understand in life, things happen. Not everything or everyone is perfect & happy - we all have issues, & I am fully okay with that. However, those who spend their days complaining or choosing to view everything negatively, I will choose to not surround myself with them.

Choose your battle. Fight hard, fight on.
Remember that although life consists of pain & trials, there is so much to be grateful for & so much beauty surrounding us.
Focus on those things & I am convinced that your life will begin to look up.

Be blessed