The Glass Is Either Half Empty or Half Full

How full is your glass today?

Half full or half empty?

Over four inches of rain fell from yesterday morning through last night here in southwest Minnesota.  It’s the time of year when farmers want warm sunshine and breezes to help dry the corn and beans for harvest, not four inches of rain.  Just twenty miles to the West in South Dakota and they have had a very dry summer. This rain system that went through was very important to them!  Isn’t that like life though?  The glass is either half empty or half full.

My walk this morning with Tucker reminded me

Tucker is a beautiful chocolate Labrador Retriever.  He lives for water and hunting up pheasants.  He generally picks paths that have water as a feature somewhere along the line.  I am generally aware of these feature areas and am prepared, but sometimes when we take pasture walking paths I can’t see the water till I take a step and splash!  My reaction is of disgust, loud grumbling and kicking my foot to rid it of the water my shoe has absorbed.  His reaction is pure joy!  It is fun to watch the smile on his face grow as he dashes and splashes.  Taking snaps at flying water droplets, tongue hanging out, leaning down to take quick drinks from the puddles, then coming to a screeching halt and lying right down in the water.  Tuckers glass is half full, whereas my glass is half empty.

How about you?

Have you experienced something only to find out your friend or family member was delighted with the experience and you weren’t? How did you handle your perspective? What did you learn about yourself from that experience? Can you see the other person’s perspective?

These questions challenge me.  They ask me to step out of my comfort zone, be totally unselfish and allow others a moment to experience life.  God often asks this of me daily.  “Can you Michele just try this?”  “You may not like this, but it’s an opportunity to learn, grow and give. Don’t see this always as half empty, see it as half full.”  After I put away my selfishness and take out my generosity, it ends up being a win-win. I grow when I try an experience that may not be fun to me, but it might to someone else.

It’s all a matter of proper perspective.

Michele

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My glass is full today. Michele Bruxvoort has joined Leaving a Legacy as a regular writer. She has much to share and needed a place to share it. She is a long-time friend from my hometown in Wisconsin but living in western Minnesota. This should bring a new perspective since I now live in the deep south!

Michele enjoys re-purposing and giving new life to all things “old”. At this writing, she and her husband, Brad are remodeling their home. I believe she will bring new life to this blog as well. Welcome, Michele!

Michele Bruxvoort

Michele Bruxvoort is sure to draw you in with her delightful sense of humor and love for living life.   She enjoys reading, repurposing,  as well as remodeling the family home with her husband. Drawing from her life experience as wife, mom, and follower of Jesus, Michele brings you a very honest and real perspective on life.  When you don’t find her writing, you can find her mowing lawns, stocking shelves, taking care of her grandbaby and tackling her latest life adventure.

Wisconsin native and empty-nester, she now makes her home with her husband of 27 years in the South West Prairie plains of Minnesota.

www.mandyandmichele.com