perspective

I am convinced that life is all about perspective. There are so many possible perspectives. There are so many daily choices that we can make to improve the quality of our lives. We choose to endure a rough day or week or month...or year, or we choose to enjoy the challenge and rejoice that our character is being sharpened. We choose to be annoyed by inconveniences, or we choose to laugh about them and take the opportunity to just slow our lives down for a bit, to enjoy the moment.
If there is one thing (and there are many) that Cambodia has taught me, it is to shift my perspective. On days (like today) when the heat is stifling and I am sweating just sitting in front of the fan, I can be thankful for that fan that at least keeps the warm air moving, for the ice in my freezer, for my power not cutting out in the hottest part of the day, for my motorbike that allows me to get places quickly, for the mango banana smoothies I have for breakfast, for air-conditioned cafes when the heat starts to make me delirious. And, the truth is that this too will pass. The rains will come soon, and the temperature will drop a bit and jeans will once again become a tolerable clothing choice.
I think this is the way life works. I choose my perspective. I can choose to enjoy everything I can about today, about this season, because the truth is that it will pass. Good seasons, bad seasons. Neither last forever. I much prefer to remain positive and enjoy the moment than to grumble and complain and wish things were different or that I could fast forward through the not-so-lovely times. Believe me, there are times when I am tempted, but I am confident that whatever this day holds can and will be a blessing, not a curse.