What Do You See?

A professor entered the classroom and told his students he was about to give a Pop Quiz. The professor placed a sheet of paper on each desk, then asked students to turn them over and begin.

There were no questions on the test side -- just a black dot in the center of the page. The professor simply said: "You have 20 minutes. Write what you see".

The professor collected the finished tests from some very confused students and began reading each one in front of the class.

Each paper described the big black dot in the middle of the sheet. Some of their explanations were more elaborate than others, but how much can you say about a black dot?

The professor concluded the lesson:

"I am not going to grade you on this, I just wanted to give you something to think about.

No one wrote about the white part of the paper. Everyone focused on the black dot."

Our lives are like that piece of paper. Even though it is predominantly white, we spend much more time focusing on the black dot. Compared to everything we have in our lives, the black dot looks very small. Never let a black dot -- health issues, the lack of money, a complicated relationship or a job disappointment -- dominate your thoughts and control your minds.

Looking beyond the black dot, we see our families, our friends, our jobs which provide for us, the freedoms we have living in America, and our bodies --which still function rather beautifully despite the trick age tries to play!

Always remember to appreciate the white spaces of your life and be grateful for the blessings that you have. Gratitude is a powerful tool that can help us see the beauty in our lives, and can lead to more joy and fulfillment.