“There is no never…
Just long periods
of not yet.” 
Solenn Housaff

More often than not, I make an effort to approach life with a positive attitude. I like to think of myself as a “glass half full” kind of guy. Since November 2006, I have embraced an attitude of gratitude, which requires a mindset of positivity. While my life is not perfect, a positive outlook on life keeps me believing that anything is possible. Some things just haven’t happened… yet.

There is a huge difference between “I can’t do this” and “I can’t do this… yet.” The first phrase ends the story. It shuts down the possibility of achieving something we believe we are incapable of achieving. The second phrase, however, is open to the possibility that anything can happen. It exudes hope. “I can’t do this… yet” leaves the door open to achieving what we might previously have believed to be unachievable.

Philip Tah, a U.S. Army chaplain, encouraged soldiers to embrace the power of “yet.” He said, “If you haven’t found it yet, keep searching. If you haven’t become it yet, keep striving. If you haven’t completed it yet, keep working. But by all means, never shut yourself out of what remains possible.”

The power of “yet” allows us to reimagine any negative thoughts we might have and see them as opportunities for hope and accomplishment. Consider the possibilities:

I don’t know… yet.
This doesn’t work… yet. 
I don’t understand this… yet. 
This doesn’t make sense… yet.
I’m not good at this… yet. 
I don’t get it… yet.

When we add this simple three letter word to our negative responses, we create opportunities for ourselves to exceed expectations — even our own. We acknowledge that, while we may not be capable of doing something right now, we are open to the possibility of learning something new or developing a skill we might not currently possess, which might enable us to complete the task successfully.  

This same sense of positivity can be applied to our lives. My all-time favorite “yet” quote was penned by Anne Frank. She wrote, “What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven’t even happened yet.”    

Perhaps there is truth in the popular saying: The best is yet to come!

•                    •                    •

NOTE:
To subscribe to A Beacon of Light, click the link below and scroll down to the bottom of the page where you will see a “Subscribe” button. There is no cost to subscribe and all future blog posts will be sent to your email.  https://abeaconoflight.life/home/