"Be careful what you think, because your thoughts will dictate your life." ~ Proverbs 4:23
Eileen, an eldercare aide at the
Oxford Assisted Living Home, lowered Ruth into the therapy pool for her
strengthening exercises. The 88-year-old
was giddy with excitement as heated water greeted her. Of all the seniors at Oxford, Ruth was a
favorite among her peers and caretakers because of her infectious positive
attitude.
After an energetic session in the pool, Ruth wrapped herself
in a warm towel. Her eyes twinkled
brightly like a child observing a winter snowfall for the first time.
She leaned into Eileen and spoke softly, “I’m building strength in my legs so I can walk without my walker again one day.” Her voice was full of hope. Ruth continued outlining her plans as Eileen listened intently.
“To me,” Ruth continued, "life’s a glorious
kaleidoscope; an evolving pattern of shapes and colors. I’ve accumulated a mountain of memories, but
I’m not just an old lady reliving her past and waiting for my time to expire. It’s never too old to dream: the best is yet
to come.”
Eileen immediately felt both inspired and ashamed. She began reflecting on her negative
outlook on life; especially the constant ingratitude of her current
stock.
Here was an aspirant octogenarian planning for the future, while Eileen, a healthy 30-something female was spending too much time dwelling on the simplicity of her past: no mortgage, no waking up to go to work every day, and on and on. How pathetic she thought to herself.
When responsibilities and hardships confront us, having the
right attitude to keep pushing forward is essential to our mental health and
success in life. It’s easy to shrink
back into simpler times when faced with setbacks, thinking to ourselves that
the good days are long gone.
The problem with living in the joys of the past is that we
become more skeptical of the future.
Once you’re holed up in that perpetual state, the future becomes
discouraging, depressing, even desperate while holding on to the elixir of yesteryear.
Are the best days of your life behind or in front of
you? Our outlook on life - and our
answer to that question - can change with time.
When we’re younger, we look ahead, wanting to grow up. And once we’ve
grown older, we yearn for the past, wanting to be young again. But when we walk with God, whatever our age,
the best is yet to come!
Each of us has a finite time on this earth. So, go ahead and reminisce about the good old
times. But as long as your clock hasn’t hit
zero, there’s still hope for a brighter future ahead; days full of laughter and
joy. Beautiful memories and new
experiences await you every single day.
