“Don’t be sad that it’s over. Smile because it happened.”
Vin Scully, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ sportscaster for 67 years, said the above quote when he retired. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for him to stop working, but it probably wasn’t easy. Change never is. Yet in his words, he showed the world how he approached that transition: with gratitude and positivity.
As I’m writing these words, I’m preparing to move to a new apartment in the near future. Sure, it’s nothing like retiring, but it’s still stressful, and it means leaving behind a place I called home for over ten years. As I contemplated the upcoming change, sadness filled my heart. That’s when I read Vin Scully’s words, which helped me gain the right perspective.
Life is a constant transition. We can’t grab hold of time and stop it from moving forward ruthlessly. All we can do is go along with it, hopefully with as few bumps and bruises along the way. We can’t influence many of its twists and turns, but we have more control than we think over one specific aspect: our attitude. Nothing has a greater impact on how we experience life.
Going back to my upcoming move for a moment, I decided not to focus on what I’m losing. Instead, I chose to be grateful for the wonderful decade I spent in my current place and to trust God with whatever the future holds in my new apartment. It didn’t mean the sadness suddenly disappeared, but it was no longer the center of my thoughts. And you know what? I really did feel better.
Gratitude serves as a shock absorber, lessening the impact of the changes that come our way. Focusing on God’s blessings over the past ten years has helped me face the transition ahead with joy and optimism.
This Post Has 4 Comments
Heartfelt and wncouraging. Loved this post! God bless you in your new apartment. Hugs!
Cherie DeAngelis
Thanks 🙂 And hugs to you, too!
I love this. We all experience it, it’s universal.
My daughter Courtney uses that quote ( not sure whose) all the time and I know it helps keep things in perspective. My husband and I will be looking at a major change as we sell our house we lived in 42 years sometime in the next year or so. Keep being positive.
Thanks.