Mindset shift #3: Focus on what you do have
Have you ever heard of Missing Tile Syndrome? People will walk into a room, glance up at the ceiling, and notice one tile is missing rather than noticing the beautiful patterns of all the other intact tiles. It’s a psychological phenomenon where people notice the thing that’s wrong rather than all the things that are right.
It’s the same with the mosaic of our lives. Sometimes the accolades of the business world seem way more tempting than changing diapers or making another plate of chicken nuggets. Or maybe our family needs the income from our job, yet we look longingly at the other moms playing in the park with their kids. Either way, focusing on what we can’t or don’t have is making us miserable and taking away the joy of what we do have.
I know a woman who loves running races. (I know, a little crazy, right?) She put training on the back burner when her children were young, devoting time to caring for them—and gratefully squeezing out a quick trot around the neighborhood when her husband was home to help. When her kids started school, she trained a bit more and ran a half marathon. Now in her mid-50s and an empty nester, she has time to train for half marathons to her heart’s content. She uses God’s gift of continued health and athleticism to fundraise for her favorite ministries. All along the way, it made a huge difference that she focused on what she did have in each season.
Friends, in the end, if we decide to trust God with our seasons of life, we’ll see how trustworthy He is. He’s been with us before and He’ll be with us again. Our best bet is to focus on what God wants us to do now and embrace the beauty of our current season. Even if we are not all called to run half marathons – thankfully.
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