Today, my 11-month old was up before 5:30a. My wife brought her into the bed to nurse, with the hope she might fall back asleep. She didn’t. We didn’t.
When the reality of the early morning set in, my wife asked, “Can you take the first shift?”
Long pause.
“Sure,” I muttered.
My first thought was, “I wish she would handle this so I can sleep.” Subconsciously, I want my wife to make my life easier. Sadly, my default, early morning thoughts are…
Why is this happening to me?
Why won’t she make my life easier?
When will I be done with this exhausting season?
But that’s not what I really want. That’s not who I want to be. And that’s not the way I want to start my day.
I reflected on my first thoughts again later, after the fact, and I’m working to train my mind to think differently. I want to move from:
Why is this happening to me?
To:
Why is this happening FOR me?
In other words, there’s something good in this for me. I have a beautiful daughter. I have a loving wife. I have a bed to sleep in. I have the opportunity to grow and give a little bit of myself away to my family this morning. And that’s what life is about. Giving. Not taking. Becoming. Not begrudging.
Our first thoughts can help us set a more helpful trajectory for our day. Training a hopeful, enthusiastic perspective will shift everything—energizing us to take the day by storm. An attitude of gratitude (instead of subtle resentment) will change everything.
Consider your first thoughts when you woke today. Life is happening FOR you—God is for you—and when you believe that, optimism and enthusiasm will fill your life and your life will be become fulfilling.