E + R = O

"E+R=O" I heard this one the other day and I just have to share it. Apparently this is a pretty well known concept/equation shared by Jack Canfield, co-creator of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series, that is getting a great deal of attention in the world of sports and as a life application for the rest of us. The equation is "E + R = O".  If you know it great, I hope it is impacting your life. If you haven't been introduced to it here we go! "E" life is full of EVENTS ups, downs, wins, losses, happy times, sad times, good memories, and all the way down to tragedies. That's just a fact of life, you are constantly going to experience EVENTS each day that you live. It's safe to say you have either just been through a major EVENT in your life, you are right in the middle of an EVENT in your life, or you will be headed into a major EVENT in your life at some time in the near future. Victories, defeats, joy, disappointment, triumph, or despair, all sit on the spectrum of the range of events that each of us encounter during our journey through life. All of these EVENTS will impact the course of your life and the lives of countless others, the determining factor in how the EVENT changes lives will be how we choose to "R" RESPOND. Will your response be to curl up in a ball and wait for things to get better? Do you automatically look for someone or something to place the blame for your "EVENT"? Or, do you accept the EVENT as yours and go about the business of taking care of it? How you choose to RESPOND is a building block. The wonderful side of this is when you RESPOND with a growth type mentality, one that believes you can learn from, grow from, and become stronger from any EVENT that occurs in your life. When that happens the result will be positive. On the flip side if we choose to RESPOND in a negative manner, unfortunately destructive, negativity develops in your life. You will tend to blame more, ignore more, push back more, and become more resentful. That's the "O" of this message. When life's EVENTS occur, how you RESPOND will determine the OUTCOME in your life and the lives you have contact with on a daily basis. The great thing about OUTCOMES is that you are in charge of what happens inside. You have a choice to make each time you are faced with a life changing EVENT. Personally I have made the choice to take things that have happened to me and use them as an opportunity to learn and grow. I know you may think that sounds simplistic and easy to say, but believe me when I tell you, "it's a choice!" The important piece of this is to remember that how you RESPOND will directly effect those around you. Your response may be the EVENT that changes the course of another person's life. I encourage you to look deeply, trust earnestly, and fight relentlessly to assure that when your E's happen and happen they will, your "R's" create positive and character building "O's" in you and your circle of influence!  Whatever you have been through, whatever you are currently stuck in, or as you prepare for the next major event in your life I challenge you to develop faith and trust that you are not alone during your hardship. I find comfort and strength to persevere in 1 Kings 19:11-12 which tells me that God isn't the storm in our lives, He is the still small voice that guides us through life's storms. If you have a personal relationship with our Maker then lean on him in times of challenge. If not my heart tells me that you need someone to go through the difficult challenges you have, are, or will face.
 Psalm 46:10 proclaims "Be still and know that I am God". You are not in this alone. Have a fantastic week and don't forget to share! 
Coach Carter