I’m not necessarily one of those people who enjoys wrapping gifts or makes them look all fancy. But I can wrap it, slap a bow on it and make it look nice enough. In life, we all hope and pray that each day is handed to us like a beautifully wrapped present. All of our relationships are perfect. We have everything we want. We don’t get flat tires. We never run out of milk for breakfast. We never break a leg or have any doctor visits. But life doesn’t work like that. Sometimes, it gets down-right difficult. 

We live in an imperfect world. We live among people who have evil intent. We are not exempt from the cares of this world, BUT we can choose to be happy in the midst of it all. Even when the wrapping on our beautifully wrapped present starts to unravel and the bow is torn off, we can still choose to enjoy the gift. We can still enjoy the journey of life even when it’s hard. 

Many times, if we can shift our focus from losing the pretty wrapping to the beautiful present, we can appreciate what we do have. We become grateful in that moment. And sometimes, the wrapping and bow and packaging is just extra that we don’t need. 

How will you choose to shift your focus to the gift of life you’ve been given?

What “packaging” have you lost that is still causing pain and how can you choose to be grateful for what’s left?

What are you learning from the difficult moments in life? 

~Coletta Jones Patterson

Coletta is an author, speaker, life coach and business executive who is passionate about helping others get unstuck. She hosts a weekly beyond stuck podcast and has written seven inspirational books. Connect with Coletta at info@moveu4ward.com.