What 'people' are you?

G. Michael Hopf wrote in?Those Who Remain: (adapted slightly)

“Hard times create strong people. Strong people create good times. Good times create weak people. And, weak people create hard times.”

We can think of this as a revolving cycle that we are all journeying on. It goes around and around - at different speeds. The question is... where are you in the cycle now? What type of person are you becoming or what kind of people are you creating in your wake by your actions?

This cycle is not absolute or uniform in its timing. The person next to you could be on the opposite side from where you are (you are in good times while they are in hard times).

This cycle is influenced, but not dictated by circumstances outside our control. Your times are affected by the world, other people, politics, the weather, and almost every other sphere of change. However, you can change your times (from hard to good or vice versa).

This cycle is personal to you and your perspective (what you think as hard times, the person next to you may look at as good times). Collectively we/you/they are going through similar times - but you alone have the power to change the way you see, react to and ultimately shape your times.

This cycle is indeterminate in length. Good and bad times come and go - either by our own efforts or by the surrounding circumstances.

Rather than focusing on which time we happen to be in right now, we can take the time to ask ourselves what kind of people we are right now..... Strong or Weak!

Do we lift up those around us regardless of how we feel? Do we keep striving to make personal progress? Are we doing the things we know we need to do even if we don’t feel like doing them? Do we seek out and do the hard things because we know we grow by doing them?

Another question we can ask ourselves is if we are becoming weak by experiencing good times.?

Do we settle for convenience? Are we easily rattled by things around us not going our way? Do we obsess over trivial issues? Do we prioritize ourselves in everything we do? Do we continually promise things we never deliver on?

We can change what kind of people we are. It takes mastery of our perspective and the will to do the right thing. Every time!