Yes, we (temporarily) had a lakefront property.
We are a farm family. Being a farmer means my husband’s days, what he does and when, are largely dictated by the weather. It’s also the main factor determining how good (or bad) our crop is. Translation: our income is dependent on the weather. Over the past few weeks we’ve had rain, A LOT of rain. Needless to say my husband, Levi, was less than impressed a few weeks ago, when on our way home from church our three year old called out, “daddy, look at our lake!” Yes, there were huge ponds of water are sitting on fields of freshly planted corn and beans. That fact needed no reinforcement. Levi was already WELL aware. When you’ve been working 18 hour days and are nearing the end of planting, just knowing you have to do it all over again can take the wind right out of your sails. Not to mention the actual monetary cost that goes along with starting over.
The Lakefront Lesson.
One evening after the rain, the kids were in bed, I was settled in on the couch working. Levi came into the living room and asked me to come outside. He said “you’ve got to see this, it’s beautiful.” He proceeded to explain how the moon on the water, in the field behind our house made it look just like lakefront property. I entertained his request and followed him outside. The moon shining off of “the lake” was absolutely beautiful and was even accompanied by all the sounds of sitting on a peaceful lake.
When our daughter pointed out “our lake” on the way home from church, Levi hadn’t seen it as anything worth stopping to take in. Last night though, his perspective changed. My perspective changed. For a moment the stress created by the mess of water went away and we both found the beauty in it. If he hadn’t taken a minute to stop focusing on the replant ahead he would have missed an opportunity to see things differently and take in the sight before us.
Perspective and Health.
When you are on a diet you are focused constantly on what not to do, what not to eat and how much you have to exercise. It’s exhausting! What if you took time to see things differently? What if you changed your perspective and focus? I challenge you to stop focusing on the work ahead. Stop seeing through the eyes of a dieter. Take your focus off of weight loss and focus solely on being healthy. When I changed my perspective to one of health, I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders. I’m no longer burdened with a boring diet, instead I’m allowed the opportunity to make great decisions for my health. I no longer feel restricted or excluded. Honestly, I just feel more content and able to consistently make good choices, all thanks to one little change: perspective. 
Power to Choose.
Often we focus solely on anything and everything negative. In any situation the ‘bad stuff’ is what stands out. It’s not easy, it requires an actual conscious effort, but we each have the power to CHOOSE what we focus on. I am always, in any situation, provided an instant sense of relief when I choose to be positive. Like anything else changing perspective gets easier every time I do it. Being positive takes practice, and I’m learning; it is applicable to every aspect of my life: parenting, wife-ing, working in an ICU, keeping a home, and absolutely every other thing I do every single day!
My health is no exception, perspective is totally applicable there. I can actually personally impact my own health every single day. I have the power to help myself fight illness and feel better just by making good food choices and staying active! How great is that!? When I use perspective to my advantage everything is easier, including staying healthy.
When it comes to your own health I challenge you to use perspective to your advantage. See what happens!
Regarding the the farm situation: Levi still had extra work and time put in due to the rain. But, the moment we looked at things differently and found the good, it did put a smile on both of our faces!
