I
write a weekly eLetter Thinking for a Change. Last week’s edition read in
part: Ask either of my children to
finish the following sentence, Life
is… and they’ll say without missing a beat …not fair.
Part of my parenting philosophy was to help my children create realistic
expectations. That little sentence was used over the years during lengthy
discussions to redefine both lows and highs as experiences to learn from. I was
reminded of its place in our family lexicon by this quote from Sylvia
Boorstein. “You
don’t get what you deserve. You get what you get.” Maybe
your family would like to discuss the implications of that one. I know I’ve
been thinking about it.
One of my dear NSA friends
and subscriber, Emory Austin, took my think-about-it challenge to heart and sent
me her reaction.
As
to the quote "You don't get what you deserve. You get what you get."
--- So true, and often also so ironic. The great thing about a quote like this
is that it's so immediately personalizable. I did not feel that I
"deserved" breast cancer almost 30 years ago. And yet I got it. The
irony for me is that "getting" something that I felt was undeserved
also "got" me immeasurable blessings that I would not otherwise have
"gotten" at all. Breast cancer taught me so much more than it took
away. It has opened doors for me that I would never otherwise have even seen.
Because I decided that with a possibly limited lifespan I would get out there
on the edge and take some new-to-me risks, I began speaking and actually found
undiscovered parts of myself that led me to what I was created to do. To my
mission in life, if you will. If I could undo breast cancer, I would not do so.
And all because of something I did not deserve . . .
In
awe of life, Emory
She really got the meaning
and I wanted to share her wisdom with you. This is the essence of change; it is
always at the heart of possibilities. Thanks Emory for seeing it so clearly.
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