Another Day In Paradise?

So how do you greet each morning? I wake to morning light creeping through the curtains.

Not exactly. Most days I wake to an alarm that reminds me that the daily routine is back – again. If I can open my eyes after hearing the alarm I might see the morning light creeping through the curtains to bless a brand new day.

Not exactly. It all depends on how I begin to think and react toward the day. Kick my mind off with a negative thought and look out! Everything that follows is a problem moment. It’s as if the negative gossamer of the day restrains every move, every thought. Nothing seems to go right. Nothing seems to go right that is, until I change my attitude.

To be a leader and a great leader of your own life you probably first need to take check of your beginning thoughts toward the day. ‘Today sucks!’ You say? I guarantee it will. Only you can determine how you meet the day and its challenges.

It is always great to meet someone who is happy and alive. They will meet challenges of the day like everyone else but they won’t end up with ulcers, heartache or undiagnosable pains like the rest of us. In days of yore I could resent happy people. How can they be happy when I have to deal with the stresses of life?

It reminds me of the Christian Easter story. For at least one week things didn’t seem to go so well in the human plans surrounding Jesus. Great meal. Betrayal. Denial. Dumb trials. Mocking. Injury. Death. If it had been me I probably would’ve quit very early on and run away. (Okay. I’ll be honest. I would have run away.) Jesus seemed to approach it well even through his death. He clearly understood his purpose even if no-one else did. Actually, no one else did! I am not so certain that anyone clearly understands his purpose – even today.

Why Jesus seemed determined to stay on his course and to endure the death on the cross contradicts what most of us humanists would do. We would prefer life to death under all circumstances and can justify it very easily and logically. Much of this is determined by how you begin your day. That is, your attitude toward your day.

Let me be frank. If you want to get the richness out of life you have to put to death the rancor that grows out of twisted perspectives toward life. Twisted perspectives lead to twisted behaviors too. Will need to transform a lot of stuff – beginning with attitude.

Jesus said the life of the servant is where it all begins. That’s a pretty tough message for the selfish, self consumed culture we live in today. We all like it our way. Well, at least we say we do. Until we wake up in the morning and curse the sunrise.

Another day in paradise?