Change your perception of what a miracle is, and you’ll see them all around you. –Jon Bon Jovi
Back in the dark depths of this winter, a buddy and I hatched a plan for a glorious golf trip down to the Wintergreen Resort in the mountains of Virginia. We locked in a date for a weekend in late May, dreaming of warmer times and less restrictive protocols. Once the date and location were secured, we went to work on finding six other guys who could dedicate a weekend to the cause.
There were roadblocks for sure. Graduations. Family trips. Kids sporting events. The normal ebb and flow of life. But eventually, eight good friends were locked and loaded for what promised to be the greatest weekend of our lives! And months later, when the fateful vacation arrived, it did not disappoint. Good times, good laughs and (not so) good golf. Hard to beat.
Just recently, I was explaining to a neighbor how we were able to pull this little trip together. I casually mentioned that everyone was able to hold the commitment without any last minute snafus. (And, of course I credited our very understanding wives as a key factor in making it happen!)
“You mean to tell me you got eight buddies to go away for entire weekend of golf?”
I shrugged matter-of-factly. “Yeah, pretty cool, eh?”
“That’s more than cool. That’s a freakin’ miracle!”
I hadn’t really dwelled on it too much. In fact, I took the whole weekend for granted. Of course people could make the trip. Why wouldn’t they? But when I thought about all the obstacles we had to overcome to make it happen, I realized it was pretty incredible. In fact, it really was a miracle of sorts. And I wonder how many other minor miracles we all take for granted in our everyday lives?
Take Nothing For Granted
It is very easy to focus on the times when things do NOT go our way. We get angled out of a deal. We can’t pay the mortgage. Our company does not time the market right. Our sale falls apart. A loved one lets us down. We lose the game. We start to think that nothing will ever turn our luck around. Worse, we give up on certain dreams or stop pursuing a path because we are so bitter about past outcomes. But did we ever stop to consider all the little things that have gone right for us?
We woke up alive this morning (always a bonus!). We have a roof over our heads. We have people in our lives who will always have our back. We have dreams and plenty of time to make them a reality. We have hope. And that is not something we should take for granted! The more we can focus on these minor miracles, the easier it is to recover from the setbacks in our lives. It is a change in mindset. It is a change in perspective. And focusing on these “miracles” gives us even more appreciation when the tide eventually turns in our favor!
The Simple Things Can Be Significant
We need to look around in our own lives. It is all about peaks and valleys. Who are the people who always show up for us? What simple joys bring a smile to our face? What creature comforts make us want to get out of bed in the morning? We can’t take these people or things for granted. They help smooth out the valleys in our lives. And they give us hope for the future. The more sublime miracles we can find, the more we will appreciate the peaks. And that appreciation is one of the keys to leading a resilient life!
The golf trip down to the Wintergreen Resort was not a life-changing event. There wasn’t one incredible shot or hilarious story that will live on in the annals of history. But that doesn’t mean it was insignificant. Quite the opposite. It took incredible effort and commitment from everyone just to show up. It took team work and understanding to pull it together. And it provided a brief respite from the slings and arrows that inevitably afflict our everyday lives.
And that, by any measure, is a freakin’ miracle!