By Carin G Hansen
Life is just too short not to give every moment of every day “all you got”! But, I think that we have forgotten that even doing that doesn’t always mean success in terms of what is considered success by our culture.
What do you think is success? To determine that you have to think about who you consider successful. Is it the woman who accomplishes all she sets out to do and who achieves popularity or profit? At first glance you might think so. Maybe at second, third and fourth glances you still think so. If that is the case, I am not going to be the one to change, or try to change, your mind. BUT, if you have even a hint of questioning your response, thinking it might have been a response made too quickly… hang in here with me.
Success in all its simplicity is giving life all you have, all the time and then sitting back and letting God take over.
I have lived long enough to realize that I can try, and try again; clamor and claw for things I think are important and/or necessary, only to discover that one of two things happens:
1) I achieve my goal, I succeed; but find I am not really happy with my success and/or I am too exhausted – or busy – or burned out to enjoy that success.
2) I don’t achieve my goal, despite desperately trying, and discover that I have learned great life lessons along the journey – AND, that my happiness is not really tied to succeeding but rather in the process of growing, learning, relaxing, praying and letting go.
If you are the woman in the first scenario; you don’t truly succeed, because it is important to succeed in all areas of your life; not just the one area that you have focused on. You might discover that your family life, social life, health – or a combination of any of these – have suffered from this success.
If you can identify with the woman in the second scenario – you ultimately succeeds because you accomplish a purpose. Perhaps not the purpose you originally set out to succeed at; rather, a purpose that may have been out of your realm of imagining in respect to relationships, service, growth and blessing!
There is much to be said for pushing yourself and for having a positive attitude toward life. Both of these qualities are admirable.
Unfortunately, it is becoming a trend to believe – therefore pattern your life after – believing that YOU, and you alone, are the master of your destiny.
When journeying through cancer, I was faced with the grave reminder that I was not in control of my life. My destiny was in God’s hands. Here I was, only forty and faced with having five cancerous tumors simultaneously. I had always eaten well, exercised, kept my weight under control and taken supplements to help with nutrition I might be missing in my diet. My friends called me the epitome of positive, energetic and “go-getter”. But faced with a cancer diagnosis where the doctors could not give me a good prognosis, I was out of control of my life. Oh yes, I could continue doing the things I had always done health-wise adding in some new things to help improve my changes of survival, and I had a wonderful team of doctors who did so much for me. My husband, and family, were there to encourage and support me. There is no price that could be placed on the value of that.
But, in the end – nothing and no one could guarantee me survival. I am so blessed to say that not only did I survive the disease, but I have been victorious over it for more than twenty years now! That was God’s hand at work and nothing less.
So, give it your all. Then sit back, relax and pray. That is what I call having a positive attitude!
Carin Hansen has been helping women and men, of all ages, look their best through articles, blogs, books, seminars and workshops for much of her life. Because she interacts with many lives, in very personal ways, she has unique insights into the spiritual struggles both men and women alike face.
As a Christ follower and cancer survivor of 21 years, Carin is very aware that every day on earth is a gift from God – not to be wasted. Please visit Carin’s website at [http://www.bridges2beauty.net] to ask for prayer. Check out Carin’s blog at http://www.bridges2beauty.wordpress.com.
