Major life events always have a way of waking us up to what really matters the most to us. Not long ago, I woke up one Sunday morning only to be greeted by the news that a tornado had caused massive damage in the middle of the night to a town 35 miles southeast of where I live. That’s getting rather close! What if it had been my neighborhood? It was only a county away. Talk about getting a new perspective on life!
These days with all that is happening in the news around us and the economy we are all being challenged about our “perspectives.” One could easily agree with Charles Dickens that these are “the best of times and the worst of times.” I guess it depends on what side of the fence you are on and more importantly how you view it!

A man who had lost his job and was suicidal called his minister and told him that because he had lost his job he was suicidal. The minister’s response was – “Can you walk? Can you talk? Can you see? Well, I figure you have just about everything. You have only lost a job.” Talk about perspective! After the damage had been done in this recent tornado, one man made a very profound statement. His statement came after observing that one half of his house was flattened by the tornado while the other half has been destroyed by a tree. It’s hard to believe, it’s hard to take in,” Stephenson said but “We’ve got our lives and our health, so we’re good to go.” We’re good to go- now that’s perspective! I believe this man’s perspective will no doubt help him to make it in the days ahead.

If our life flows from our perspective and I believe it does, then maybe we could all learn a few things from the courage and heroic lives of others like Mr. Stephenson. Things may not be great or as we would like them but as long as we are living and breathing we are “good to go.” Now, that my friend is quite a perspective, and better yet, a great way to live.