I was thinking the other day – about how I would describe the beginning of this new year – for our family.

There are a number of adjectives that I could use – words like – disruptive – messy – noisy – busy – and so I could go on.

But yet again – I could describe our days this week as – days of great anticipation – full of gratitude for all the work being done in our home – which – at the end of the day – will add value to the house – and pleasure to us too.

It really depends on how we chose to look at things – and we are seeking to remember to – “Focus on the goal – not on the obstacles” – to look beyond the disruption – and look forward to the finished job.

So many times in my life – I have been aware of obstacles in my way – and recognised that – in order to achieve my goals – I needed to be prepared for things to be messy – or even difficult.

A phrase that my husband often quotes – comes to mind – “You can’t make an omelette – without breaking eggs”. He often uses this phrase when seeing a meal being prepared – recognising that the ‘mess’ – that he will face later – doesn’t matter – it’s worth it for the good meal he will enjoy.

The meaning of this expression – is that – “It’s impossible to achieve a good result – without causing problems somewhere”.

It certainly does seem that way in life – and for me – where I put my focus is so very important – and it’s always my choice.

Someone put it this way –“The way I see it – if you want to see the rainbow – you’ve got to put up with the rain”.

I can choose to always look forwards – striving to see that ‘rainbow’ – at those things I want to achieve – or – I can choose to look at the ‘rain’ – things that are messy – or difficult – and even the things that have gone wrong in the past.

The following quote inspires me – “Keep your face always towards the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you”.

There are always shadows in life – they can accompany me wherever I am – but – as long as I keep looking at the sun – those shadows will always fall behind me.

Blessings – Lois