Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2
As I reached the end of my driveway this morning, I found a crushed up beer can. This wasn’t exactly surprising, since we tend to find litter along our road. We see beautiful wildlife, but the view is diminished when we’re seeing trash at the same time. Litter is just plain ugly!
The information I found from the NC DPS website amazed me when I was researching facts about litter. Did you know that the United States taxpayers spend billions of dollars cleaning up litter in one year? We’ve actually spent ten times more money on litter cleanup than on the cost of trash disposal. Also, litter reduces property values. Neighborhoods experience more vandalism and other crimes when they’re heavily littered. Plus, it makes it seem like residents don’t care about their neighborhood. We sure can’t forget that litter attracts more litter too!
I had a choice this morning. Let the beer can steal my joy, which would only hurt me, or pick it up and throw it in the recycling container a few feet away. I threw it away, and reminded myself to get the family back out for another road cleanup.
Do we spend so much time reacting that we never take the time to act? We allow others to control our responses so often that we miss an opportunity to make the situation better. I had on a motivational video today that really hit me. I tried to look it up online and came across pretty much the same thing that was in an article by Sidney J. Harris (The Chicago News):
Do You Act or React??
I took the bus with my friend the other day – her usual route to work. As we got off, she took the time to face the driver, look at him, and thank him politely. The driver didn’t even acknowledge her.
“A rude person, isn’t he?” I commented.
“Oh, he’s that way every time,” shrugged my friend.
“Then why do you continue to be so polite to him?” I asked.
“Why not?’ inquired my friend, “Why should I let him decide how I am going to act?”
As I thought about this incident later, it occurred to me that the important word was ACT. My friend acts toward people; most of us react toward them. My friend refuses to return incivility for incivility.
Nobody is unhappier than the perpetual reactor. Their center of gravity is not rooted within themselves where it belongs, but in the world outside. Their temperature is always being raised or lowered by the social climate around them, and they are a mere creature at the mercy of those elements.
Serenity cannot be achieved until we become the masters of our own actions and attitudes. To let another determine whether we shall be rude or gracious, happy or angry, elated or depressed, is to relinquish control over our own true self and inner spirit, which is ultimately all we possess. The only true possession is self possession.
How often do you let others control your actions and attitudes? It gives me the chills thinking about some of the people that I’ve let take control of my inner spirit! How crazy was I? Steve Backlund shows the mediocre way being like a thermometer and the great way being like a thermostat. The situation and your emotions control the thermometer, but you’re in charge of what the thermostat reads.
I challenge you to keep your mind renewed, and don’t copy the behavior of others. Make a choice before leaving the house that you are going to act, not react today. Also, decide how you can help problems, instead of grumbling about them.
