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…not simple, they’re adjustable and dependent on our Viewpoint. Huh? How could that be? If they’re facts, that’s pretty simple. So, how can they be adjustable? How can a fact be dependent on our individual viewpoint?
An example: A lamp is on a table and that is a fact. It belonged to a beloved deceased grandmother and is a treasured family heirloom, or is an Art Deco design which is a reminder of a period in one’s life that was very meaningful, or has Acacia trees on it symbolic of a memorable trip to Africa 25 years ago, or mutes the lighting in a way that is pleasing to the owner, or was a gift from a special person — or is just a source of light.
The fact that while it is “a lamp on a table,” it isn’t as simple as that tired old quip: “It is what it is.”
OK, good point, but so what?
I’ll start with an example very close to home. My potential lifespan. I’ve been excellent in keeping my fitness at a level to ensure a vibrant and active “4th quarter” of this wonderful time to be living. Working with self-discipline to both deny and motivate myself to protect these years, I’ve been able to directly affect the outcomes by my individual actions. I’ve made all or most decisions based on living into triple digits. I’m setting a good example for my family and others to handle aging successfully.
BUT. Now I’ve run into some conditions I don’t individually control as efficiently as I have my personal fitness. Conditions that require I call on some humility (not typically my strong suit) and collaborate with medical professionals to affect the results of the strategies. Now my only strategy is to adapt because these are health, not fitness conditions. It’s a completely different Viewpoint. Some of these conditions we inherit; some are a result of living longer than average. What they have in common is they’re not a result of any lifestyle choices. They’re reality. They’re facts.
To address some of mine, I channeled a person who represents exactly the best approach. One of my daughters (I have three and a son) earlier this year, after a routine exam, was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer. Totally, as it is for many, unexpected. Enough to knock the best among us back a considerable distance.
I don’t know a person better suited to deal with this than my daughter, Doni. She has lived an enjoyable life of experiences, dealt with setbacks and plenty of joys, all with the same positive approach of first accepting the realities of what’s in front of her, then dealing with it. I’ve never heard her complain or blame others. She just faces whatever it is.
All my recent challenges combined don’t represent the weight of Doni’s and if you met her, you’d never know. She has completed her chemo, will start with radiation and immunotherapy soon and is just as fun-loving and joyful as she’s ever been.
I’m watching first-hand that attitude and viewpoint are extremely important and able to alter even facts. Some of us are fortunate to have these positive views of life and I don’t take mine for granted. If any readers are dealing with setbacks or challenges and it seems to be one thing after another, remember this fact: It IS one thing after another as long as we’re alive. For example, most of my classmates didn’t have to deal with any of these issues I’m dealing with right now. Nor any of the new ones that’ll eventually show up on my way to triple digits.