What do you do when trouble hits?
In the acclaimed novel, The Alchemist, the main character is a shepherd boy who experiences a wide scope of challenges as he pursues his dream. Early in his journey, the boy demonstrates his gullibility by entrusting his money with a man who ends up stealing everything he owns. The boy is naturally devastated, but then he has a defining moment. The boy is thinking about his predicament, then this happens:
"...he realized that he had to choose between thinking of himself as the poor victim of a thief and as an adventurer in quest of his treasure.
'I'm an adventurer, looking for a treasure,' he said to himself."
After the boy has this thought, his self-pity disappears and his willingness to live in the moment and handle each set-back grows.
The only thing that changed was his attitude.
I read those lines and realize (again!) that I always have the ability to choose the way I view myself. I am in charge of my attitude no matter the circumstances.
Always.
I wish I didn't need the reminders, but sometimes I do.