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Found: a change of perspective

There have been times I've been searching for a lost item—be it my car keys or my shoes—I can’t find it for the life of me. I tear the house apart, and doggedly quiz my family (Are you sure you didn't see them? Really, really?) After a fruitless search, I feel very frustrated, throw my hands up and quit looking.
After a while, I retrace my steps--I do need to find these items, especially if I’m heading out the door! Inevitably, I find the item only when I search differently. For instance, when looking for my car keys, if I dug my hand through my purse, I now need to dump all of the contents out.  If I've been looking underneath the bed for my shoes from the left hand side, I switch to the right.
It got me thinking how this new approach is relative to life experiences. Sometimes, we get so wrapped up in looking at a problem one way that with a fresh pair of eyes, it can be view as an opportunity. For example, a fender bender is a tragedy when it occurs. The look of the car is lost. However, later on, the damage to the car has created a job for the car body works shop.  Or this event may lead to replacing the car entirely. Either way, improvement in all aspects is on the docket.

It’s a good reminder for me. When I lose something, though it is annoying, I need to look for the item in different angles, not just going through the same motions over and over again. Then, if all else fails, a quick prayer to St. Anthony never hurts!!
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