Circumstance does not matter – it matters what you are made of
Circumstance does not matter – it matters what you are made of 
Circumstance impacts our decision-making. It impacts our future. It can even impact who we are and what we are called to become. The quirky thing though is that circumstance does not carry that much weight. Much like boiling water will soften the potato will also harden the egg. It matters more what you are made of – not the circumstance.
At one time of my life I really thought that having endured living with alcoholic parents would forever typecast me. During my teen years I often thought that my life would take a course for the worse. With so much baggage how could other people ever see that I was not like my father? Sometimes I was tempted to use my troubled family’s past as an excuse for the mistakes I made.
Fortunately, due to the influence of my mom and grandparents, I learned that none of that mattered. What mattered was my choice in the moment. It is ALWAYS my choice how to react in any situation. There may not be a right or wrong, but there is always a better or worse choice.
So what are you made of? Circumstance will challenge you to the core. Will you take the time to step back from your instinctual reactions? That is what it is all about. It’s taking the time making a better choice. At least actively choose and don’t just react to whatever happens to you.
Ralf
