“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters,” attributed to the Greek philosopher Epictetus.
This quote is a powerful reminder that we have control over our mindset, emotions, and actions, even when we can’t control external events. It’s a fact that life is unpredictable. No matter how much we plan, unexpected challenges, setbacks, and even failures will come our way. The important thing is not what happens to us but how we respond to the situations we are faced with. Do we stand looking at the spilled milk or do we clean it up and move on?
As I have always said, I don’t necessarily have to have certain experiences in life to know how the situation will pan out. I watch and learn from others. I see how they react to situations and know what might be the outcome.
It’s interesting how persons will react when presented with the same situation. Two persons might have the exact same situation, but they react in totally different ways. One may feel defeated and give up, while the other sees it as an opportunity to learn and grow. The difference lies in their perspective. One might see the glass half empty, while the other sees it half full. Same glass, but the way they look at life makes a difference. Some will have things happen to them, and they see it as life happening for them, while others see it as life happening to them. One sees it as life and works around whatever happens, while the other sees it as life beating them into the ground.
I sat thinking about how persons react to life and thought that it all depends on how they see life. If they see life as a river that they can use to get from point A to B and learn how to navigate, they will survive and even thrive. On the other hand, if life appears to be a turbulent river with many rapids and falls, they will always feel that life is all about fighting and they are victims. How we react to life depends on what we hope to achieve. It depends on how resilient we are. I’m not saying we will ignore the hardships, pains, and disappointments, but we accept them as they are, which are challenges and work with and around them. Sometimes it makes sense to write down the problems and dissect them to come up with the solutions. I have done that, and it works for me. What about you? What have you done to get a handle around any situation presented to you that causes issues? Or do you just react emotionally and pray it will take care of itself?
I have found that when I see challenges as stepping stones, it helps me to grow. I learn from them, and as I said, I learn from other persons’ experiences. At the end of the day, we can’t control everything around us, so we focus on what we can control: our attitude and how we respond. Make sure you don’t beat yourself up because in your mind it’s your fault. Be kind to yourself. You wouldn’t beat your friend because you would very often go out of your way to make them feel better, so in a similar fashion, do that for yourself. And finally, see the problem for what it is: something to be solved. Focus on just that, solving the problem, and not blaming the whole world. Work around and through the challenges. It’s your life after all and life is meant for living.
Life will always present challenges, but your strength lies in how you respond to them. Will you allow obstacles to define you, or will you seize them as stepping stones for growth? The choice is yours. By shifting your mindset, cultivating resilience, and taking control of your reactions, you can transform even the most challenging situations into catalysts for success. It is after all life, and you must and should live your best life.
Let me know what you think; I really want to know, and I am sure others do too. Try commenting 👍🏽, but if you are not comfortable, reach out to me via any medium. I would love it if you would say something, anything, and tell someone. 🙏🏽 Your comments let me know how you feel and very often give me a totally different perspective on the topic. It could also spawn another blog. 😉. And you can never tell your comment might help others. Always remember life is for living, and you must always live your best life. #lifeisforliving #liveyourbestlife #gratefulforlife #faithgreaterthanfear
See you next Wednesday at 8:00 p.m., Bogotá time.

