...because of new frames.

when i got my new glasses, my boyfriend said that i could be the official leader of the 'nerd herd' for life.  i thought that was quite an accomplishment. but who knew that getting a new prescription for my eyes would also mean getting a new perspective on life.

 i don't really consider it a coincidence that on the same day of getting new glasses and finally being able to see, i also received a lesson on perception and a reminder of the control i have on the way i look at challenging situations and respond to them.

   after working extra hours only to feel more behind, being sick, lacking sleep, driving a not-wanting-to-start-car, and trying to sleep in a house with a recently broken air-conditioner in the oklahoma heat, i decided that complaining would surely solve all of these problems.  i also thought that exasperated sighs, frustrated responses, and impatience would be effective in positively impacting the situation. turns out i was wrong.  it was a bad mood. bad circumstances. bad day kind of day.  but it was also a frame and a re-frame kind of day.and by that, i mean that i learned that it's all about the way you look at things.  every second.moment.minute.day, i believe we have the ability to choose how we take in the world. and i believe that we sometimes forget how easily our viewpoint colors our feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. what i know is that the world is as beautiful as you are willing to see it. and that the people in it are as wonderful and amazing as you'll let them be. i think that challenging situations are what you make of them and that life will be as full of as many opportunities as you are willing to work for.today i was reminded that perspective is about not letting a rough morning mean a bad day.  your viewpoint towards a situation is also a representation of how you feel.  remember that. and remember that feelings can change. that you are in control of how you respond, regardless of how little control you had over someone's actions. perspective is deciding to see a car moving too slowly on the highway as a reason to get angry or as a chance to practice patience. perspective is viewing a broken heart as a lost emptiness or as an opportunity to find yourself whole again. it's about viewing failure as an excuse to give up, or as a reason to start over.  it's about being grateful for all that you have the opportunity to do, rather than complaining about all you have to get done. and then there is perception;  how you see what you are looking at. and today, i learned that difficulties and uncomfortable situations are also opportunities.  opportunities to challenge yourself and opprotunities for personal growth. a moment in time to choose to respond differently than you normally would.  a chance to be better. so back to the glasses.today was a lesson in taking a second look.  in recognizing that sometimes when we are feeling mad.sad.bad.frustrated.disappointed we might not be seeing the situation for all that it could be.  today, while wearing my glasses, i decided to put on a new lens.  to stop framing my difficult days and not-so-obvious opportunities in a negative light, and to start taking in whatever good (and all of the good) i could find.  for the record, i know this may be an overly simplistic solution for more troubling parts of life, and i recognize that sometimes, this just won't work. but i believe that it's always worth a try. and one more try. what i know about myself is that if i can re-frame a situation to perceive it in a more positive, useful light, i often end up feeling different.  and when i feel differently about a situation, i am usually able to respond to it with kindness, love, and acceptance. and it's a nice thing to be able to reflect back on your most difficult times and know that you responded to whatever it was with your very best self.  

and i think that some of the most important parts of life end up being a collection

of our choices.

re-frames.

and second looks.