Surrounded by Perspective

What is it?
Success? Beauty? Happiness?
Where is it found?
On the outside? On our skin?
Is it pigmentless melanin?
A pair of baby-blues; or
Emerald greens?
Money and power?
A ladder to climb to a 
Glass Ceiling?
Perfect, smiling families?
Suburban, picket fences?
I don’t think it’s there.
On the outside.
I believe I’ve found it- 
Within.
Success. Beauty.
Happiness.
Deep within my 
Soul.

Success, beauty, happiness.

These are interesting concepts to me; concepts we strive for.

Recently, I haven’t written as much…already in February, and I have just barely been holding on to the two most important challenges that I set for myself in January.

I have been feeling discouraged; and, I’ll admit, finding myself back in a place of intense anxiety and growing depression.

Questions looming; why did I move here? Was this all a mistake?

But, by surrounding myself with God’s people. Being in His presence, my perspective has shifted.

I know there is more inside of me…and each discouraging moment is offset by the reminder that I am in this for His Glory, not my own.

Surrounding myself with this new perspective changes everything.

Am I 100% happy all the time? No, but I know my happiness is situational, while my Joy is from the Lord, and He sustains it.

Am I comfortable in my skin 100% of the time? No, but I know that I have been knit together by the Creator of the universe, and simply for that, I am a beautiful creature. And, I’m finally at a place in my life where I’m not awkward about my body, because it is a beautiful, working body that gets me going each day.

Am I exactly where I think I need to be in my career? I’m getting there. This is just the beginning, and each day God blesses me by using me. Allowing me to plant seeds of hope, even when my clients don’t see it or realize yet where they are coming from.

Each day, I surround myself with the things of God – more and more. His Word. Time with Him. His people.

My perspective switches to a Kingdom perspective; and Success, beauty, and happiness are all found there.

How does what you surround yourself with change your perspective?

Linking up this week for Tuesdays @ 10. The topic this week is Surround. Head over to Finding the Grace Within to join the fun!