Paradox of Perspective

There are blessings in the midst of life's difficulties.
There are difficulties in the midst of life's blessings.

In this paradox of perspective, which one is true?

We get to choose. We have a saying in our family that goes like this: "Perhaps you should see things differently." This statement was made by some wise pastor in a message we heard a long time ago, but I can't recall who. There is so much power in this statement, though, so I wish I could give the credit where it is due. The bottom line is clear; though, we choose our attitude.

Proverbs 15:15 in The Message puts it like this:
"A miserable heart means a miserable life;
 A cheerful heart fills the day with song."

There is so much power in perspective. We choose whether to be critical and harsh or forgiving and patient. We choose whether to be anxious and fearful or calm and peaceful. We choose whether to be passive and lazy or proactive and helpful.

We have a choice to make: focus on the blessing or dwell on the difficulty.  When we choose to dwell on the difficulty, we lose sight of the blessing. But when we zoom in on the blessings, God's goodness is magnified in our lives.