This I Believe

What I believe is How I live…

I believe in acceptance. Acceptance in the things I cannot change.

My life is manageable but only when I realized that I have no control. Not over people, places or things. The only control I have is over my reaction. I have a choice as to what that reaction may be. If it is a situation which is beyond my control, I have to let it go. The only way to truly let it go is to be able to look at the reality, look at it from any and all angles and find something to be grateful for. In looking for the gratitude in a situation which is out of our control, we turn the negative into positive, the unmanageable into manageable. If you look for the gratitude, you will find it.

I am in control of my reaction. I can make choices. The simplicity of it is that what we think is what we will feel. If I can think good thoughts, I will have good feelings.

My life’s lesson comes from making the choice to look for the gratitude when my child’s life was placed in danger. A gift of life was taken for her and caused her many years of pain. Rachel was a cancer baby and had a liver and two kidney transplants. When she 19 the donated kidney was lost. The loss was a direct result of negligence.

Fast forward two years. Rachel is at this very moment laying in ICU, incubated, carrying 20 additional pounds of fluid and hanging on by the slimmest of threads. Each moment is precious, each filled with hope that she will not deteriorate further so that she will not be strong enough to receive the liver and kidney she so desperately needs.

I learned the lesson of acceptance when I knew that there was nothing I could do to change the situation. I accepted it and looked for the gratitude. Gratitude that she is alive and able to receive dialysis. Grateful that I had her yet another day.

I continue to look for the gratitude. I witness her endless pain. I find gratitude that she has the strength to endure.

I have a choice. I chose to think good thoughts which allows me to have good feelings. I fill myself with goodness by choosing to do the next right thing, always being honest, especially with myself. I have learned by thinking good thoughts and feeling god feelings, I am doing good things for others and all of that comes back to me. If you have love, tolerance and patience and you give it…you will get it back and so much more.

I accept the things I cannot change. That is peple, places and things. I change the things I can and I lok fr the grattitude in every occurance in my life.