My Thoughts on Easter

I don't attend a church out here. Doesn't mean I'm not faithful, or that I love the Lord any less than anyone else. I simply choose to not go to church. But this morning, Easter morning, I was listening to a lesson on the TV and heard something that really resonates with me. "God never ends on a negative."

I like that. Alot.

And it really fits with all that I believe. No matter what happens, I try to stay focused, positive. I know that there is a lesson in all that I experience. There is a blessing buried in the pain. We just have to find it.

We make mistakes. We all do. We're not perfect, but rather than focusing on all of those it's important to learn from them and move forward. Take the lessons learned and turn them into a gift to others. By doing that we not only take the focus off of the bad, but we put the focus on others. When we do that, we are blessed. It's true. Not always immediately, but we are. We have to trust in that.

Right now, at work, it's ugly. We just can't get our hands on enough product. Not enough for the consumers who want to buy it, the stores that need to stock it and most certainly not enough for my guys who pay their bills with the proceeds of what they sell. It's just a nightmare. Now, I could be like so many others in my peer group and focus on what's not happening. We AREN'T getting more product. We CAN'T keep up with demand. We have NO WAY of making our customers happy.  But I'm not. I won't. Oh, I'm tempted. There are moments after angry phone calls that I just lay my head on my desk and want to cry. There are times when my guys come in begging for any help on how they can pay their bills that I have to close the door and weep. But I cannot, will not dwell on that.

No, I'm looking at what we can do. We have some things to sell. Not the top sellers, but something. And we have a new product coming out next week, and I've put a lot of effort into making that a success. Because it will help. It will put money in their pockets. Product on the shelf.  I have gotten notice of some very serious issues with our competition. I'm printing all those out and posting them. ANYTHING I can do to put the focus on the positive. On all the possibilities.

And it's working. Oh, we had a horrible week last week. Horrible. The worst I've ever been thru. But we still had decent numbers. At least those that are listening to me did. And the negative nannies are starting to notice that. And it's spreading.

I had a couple of my peers tell me that they were confused as to why I wasn't freaking out more. Then, I guess, they figured it out. According to them it's obvious I don't care about my team as much as they do theirs. Really? Huh......no, I think it's that I'm the only one that has actually been there, done that. Those hurricanes in 2004? Yeah, I didn't receive a dime for 6 weeks. There was no revenue. Period. No guarantee pay. Nothing. And it was horrible. HORRIBLE. But, I survived. My boss didn't help me, in any way. No, I just hunkered down and figured it out. And those lessons? That is what I'm sharing with my team. If they want to listen, great. If not, there really isn't much I can do about that. But the core of this story is I learned a lesson and am passing it on. And by focusing on what is possible I'm not as stressed as so many around me.

Now, this isn't a smooth path. No....seems like every time I find something that will work, we hit a speed bump. But we simply stop and find a way around it. I stay focused on the positive.

So what does all this mean on this Easter morning. Moving from work to "life" matters it means I'm content. I'm peaceful with who and where I am. I know He has a plan for me, and by focusing on the good, the positive, I will gain that plan. Might not be tomorrow, or next year. But my Lord wants good things for me. And I want to graciously receive them. So I keep my mind and heart open to his possibilities. Even when others think I've lost my mind, or am not living in reality. I stay the course.

My wish for you this Easter is that you are able to see the good. Find the lesson. See the light. That is the story of Easter. No matter what happens, there is hope. There is life. Remember.....God doesn't end on a negative.