About 15 years ago I hit a deer on the road and totaled my old Chevy Blazer. No one (except the deer) was hurt, but it shook me up and stressed me out.
It meant an insurance claim, finding a different low-budget vehicle, and time-consuming paperwork for a single working mother with no spare time.
My own mother often encouraged us to tackle problems by considering how important they’ll be five years from now. Will all of this matter that much?
It’s helpful advice that often results in less time spent worrying about details that aren’t that important.
But I’ve also found the theory works in reverse.
For example, if I knew five years ago what I know today, how would I have tackled my problems? Or even three years ago?
Burying a son introduced an entirely new standard for measuring and tackling problems.
It’s arguably the most difficult and painful experience a parent can encounter, but it helps to apply the measure of perspective.
I’m not alone.
Everyone hurts.
Life hurts.
Life is hard.
And it’s tempting to get caught up in the daily grind of minor pestilence that can drag us down.
But hard times have a way of teaching the best lessons. … Lessons that make us stronger and more resilient.
It's counterintuitive, but hardness can result in softness. In a good way.
When approached with the right perspective, hard times can open our eyes to the otherwise unseen beauty of the here and now. … to see past the angst of “what if” or “if only.”
And ultimately, we can become better people.
We can gain clarity that helps to realize what we’re capable of.
Life still happens.
Like a nail in the sidewall of my tire last week … right after a leak sprung in the refrigerator door.
But I’ve already survived the unthinkable.
Flat tires and appliance malfunctions are mere bumps in the road compared with hurdles and mountains already behind me.
See how it works?
Little did I know 15 years ago how minor a problem my deer-vs-Chevy crash was, relative to the challenges that lie ahead.
Dear readers, none of this is to imply all challenges are meaningless. Rather, the encouragement is to ask, in the words of my mother, “How important will this be five years from now?”