Thursday; July 2


          In 1992 Mary Chapin Carpenter released a song called, “The Hard Way”.  (For my eastern seaboard friends, Mary Chapin Carpenter, has a D. C. connection who also had a pretty fun song called, “Mary’s Land”.)  Anyway, as a part of The Hard Way, she makes the point that we’ve got two lives – one we’re given and one we make.  I have been listening to that song for over twenty years, but it wasn’t until recently that I actually heard what she was singing.  In essence, she says that on one hand we have been handed our current circumstances.  These might be the physical, economical, emotional and social conditions we inherit.  While these can be intense, they are only a part of who we are.  You see, the other part of our lives are made up of how we choose to live.  This part of who we are is formed, not by what circumstances or others do to shape us, rather what we do to shape those external factors.  We may not be able to alter our environment, but we can definitely pick our attitude.

          A common phrase in The Hard Way says, “Show a little inspiration, show a little spark”.  Are we allowing elements outside us to dictate who we are or what we become?  If so, we have decided that what others want me to be is as good as I will be.  Yet, when we live an inspired life, we set the boundaries for our lives.  Let’s not live life halfway, let’s take what we have been given and purposefully make the most of our opportunities.
Think About It!

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