You know those mornings when everything starts off wrong - your alarm doesn't go off, the kids are crabby, you can't find your keys (for the third time this week!), and you just want to crawl back into bed and start over?
I have to admit, I've had more than my share of mornings like that. And many of them I have left my house completely frustrated and anxious and allowed those small, annoying things to set the tone for my entire day.
The older I get though, the more I realize how much control I actually have over my life. The choices I make define who I am, the experiences I have, the places I go, and ultimately, the level of happiness in my life.
Even the bad things that have happened to me, at least since I've been an adult, I have had a certain level of control over. I am the one who decides how I react to every life event and how much I allow those events to impact my emotions, and ultimately the course of my life.
It's actually been a very freeing revelation for me, especially over the course of the last 5 years. I'll admit that I haven't always made the best choices, and I have lived with some tough natural consequences because of my bad ones. But, all of the experiences I have had, good and bad, have shaped who I am.
I am beginning to rise above those small annoying things more frequently these days, with the knowledge that I have survived so much already and came through (at least for the most part) just fine. And, by not allowing the little things to consume me, those days that start out so tough actually typically end on a high note.
As I reflect on the sum of the choices I have made, I am also beginning to see that I really do like who I have become. And that the opportunities from here are endless.