Perspectitude

I loved my Shakespeare classes in college!

It seemed like my "learner" went into overtime or overdrive or whatever hyperbolic term you can think of... I just seemed to learn a lot more in those classes than in most of my other classes.

One day, I remember our professor, Doc White, telling us that Shakespeare often made up new words whenever no currently-existing words fit what he wanted. He said that in the play Hamlet alone, there are over 600 words that appear in the English language for the first time (in other words, that he made up). One example: "jump."

Well... if it's good enough for Shakespeare, it's good enough for me!

My wife would also add that if you're Southern, you do it all the time anyway.

Well, allow me to introduce you to my newest creation: perspectitude.

I was looking at a situation in my life earlier and really feeling down about it. In fact, I told Jennifer I needed her to pray for me because I was really down about it!

All I could see... Or, really, all I was looking at... Was the negative stuff about my struggle.

But then, like a ray of sunshine through a cloud-covered sky, I thought of something positive in my circumstances.

I wasn't wanting to & I certainly wasn't trying to! In fact, I was quite content in my misery!

But the moment I saw that one bright light, I saw another. And another. And yet another!

Then the thought crossed my mind, "There's just as much--if not more--good to focus on here than bad... You're moping around is insulting God! Look at all He's doing in the midst of this!!"

So, I decided to change my perspective & focus not on the bad stuff, but the good stuff.

It took quite a bit of effort for the first few minutes, but then--without warning--I noticed a shift in my attitude!

The doom & gloom that hovered around me like a cloud was gone! In fact, I felt excitement, joy, & courage to keep going forward.

The drastic change in my attitude was the direct result of deliberate, mental change of perspective!

Did you get that? Changed perspective became changed attitude!

Perspective... Attitude... Perspective... Attitude... Perspective + attitude = Perspectitude!!

So, the next time I'm facing a difficult situation & start to feel burdened, discouraged, or whatever, I'm gonna check my perspectitude!

I bet it changes everything else, too!