“Nobody has things just as they would like them. The thing to do is to make a success with what material I have. It is a sheer waste of time and soul-power to imagine what I would do if things were different. They are not different.” ~ Frank Crane
I read these words and find they’re much easier said than done. Usually I’m bemoaning the lack of time I have, since there never seem to be enough hours in the day, and they’re often filled with things I don’t want to do! Or there’s the money, of which there’s never enough. I wish I could rise above the disappointment and take charge with what I have, but I find myself slipping down into negative thinking on occasion.
The key here, I think, is acceptance. Sitting and bemoaning my fate does nothing except make me depressed and miserable. Obviously I can’t make more time. I can just do the best with what I have. And the same applies to other things, as well. I can’t will myself to have more money, better health or a greater impact. I have to accept my current reality.
Once I’ve accepted it, then I can do something to change what is in my power to change. I can take my current situation and resources, figure out what can be done with them, and try to improve my situation. Things may not be different right now, but that doesn’t mean I can’t take charge and turn them into something that works for me. Rather than waste “time and soul-power” I am instead taking action and being productive. And the things I can’t change? Well, nothing’s perfect. But at least if I can learn to work with them instead of against them, maybe I’ll get somewhere.
A Life You Want 