Lessons for Living
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Have you had a wake-up call?
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How do you know when
you need to change? Does it slowly dawn on you that something needs to be different, or
does it take a "wake-up call" to get your attention? Do you need something like
the jarring ring of an early morning phone call to arouse you from your slumber? The "wake-up calls" of life take many forms. They may arrive as the loss of a job or the breakup of a marriage. It could be an accident, illness, or the death of someone close to you. Life's "wake-up calls" are sudden, unexpected events that can look and feel a lot like a disaster. It takes courage and wisdom to find the opportunity that may be hidden in them. The distressing loss of a job may shake you out of a deadening routine that you would not voluntarily give up and challenge you to develop new skills, which take you on a different and exciting career path. The breakup of a marriage may challenge you to acknowledge and change personal faults, so that you become a more caring person. Dealing with the death of a loved one may cause you to reassess your priorities in life, learn to live more in the moment, and become content with what you have. To benefit from such wake-up calls, you must recognize them for what they are - - opportunities to grow. When something happens to you that you don't like, remember to consider the possibility that you may be in the midst of one of life's wake-up calls. If you can respond appropriately to the situation and learn the lesson offered, you may later claim that it was actually a blessing in disguise because it changed you for the better. |
