things we can change, things we cannot change...

It's Monday of the Octave of Easter. As for my reflections today, let me share with you that there are many ways of classifying events that happen in our life. One way is to classify them according to those events we can control, and those events we cannot control.
In other words, there are things in life we can change, but there are also things we cannot change.

Much of our happiness is rooted in our desire to change things that are beyond our control. As a result, we get frustrated.

Much of our unhappiness and our lack of growth, is also a result of our refusing to change ourselves or improve ourselves for the better.
We merely allow ourselves to stagnate and not right where we are.

Things in life can either be changed by us, or they cannot be changed by us.
If certain things cannot be changed, we should accept them. If they can be changed for the better, we should change them for the better.
This is what the Lord tells us in the scriptures. There are things that mainly depend on us. But there are also things that do not depend on us, and are beyond our control.

To mention one of those that are beyond our control, we cannot change the reality of death. Only Jesus did. We have to accept it. But, we can change our sins and our temptations. We can change these, yet many of us are afraid to do so, because of the sacrifice it would entail.

To mention one of those that are within our control, we can sow the seed of goodness and love to other people. Being a good example to other people is within our control. But the effect we have on other people is not within our control. Even though we are good, even if we plant the seed of goodness, if other people do not respond positively, then there is no growth.

Wisdom lies in being able to recognize those things we can change and those we cannot change.

If we can change for the better, then by all means, change. If we cannot change a situation anymore, then accept its reality patiently.

We cannot change God's will. Yet we can spend so much time and energy, trying to change the mind of God. God knows what is best. When God plans, He knows what is best for us. We cannot change His will, so let us accept it.

On the other hand, there are things we can change about ourselves, yet we are the last ones to acknowledge we need to change. If we can discover this, there is wisdom in us.

If we can distinguish between what we can change and what we cannot change, we have wisdom.
Where there is wisdom, there is happiness and it is ours.

A blessed Easter to all of us!