I’ve faced death, cancer, anxiety, and many wrenches thrown in the bicycle spokes of my life.

We all have.

The fact that those things happened – I didn’t have a choice.

You didn’t have a choice.

But I – we –  can choose how to respond.

I’m not saying it’s a simple choice. But if I want to live a full life, a life of joy (not always happiness) and make the most of my moments on this earth, I choose the version that makes me better, stronger, and a positive influence on the world around me.

I choose the first column. The blue column.

I choose the version that promotes optimism, a healthy outlook on life, an encouraging presence on social media, a footprint that (hopefully) helps others live that way as well.

It’s not easy.

Nothing ever is.

I may be tempted to choose the second column because it’s easier. It soothes my need for justice, for pity, to be the victim.

But that first column, it is how I want to live my life, how I want my daughter to live her life, how I want to show my students to live their lives, because our lives are just a mere blip on the radar in the grand scheme of things.

I just want my blip to have the right perspective.

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