If You Can’t Fix It, Feature It

by Phylis Clay Sparks

 

            Most of us, no matter how much self-confidence we display, think there is something wrong with us. But what if what we think is wrong with us is really right with us? Granted, we can’t do very much about our age, our height or the family we were born into. We can’t do anything about our physical features — unless we consider plastic surgery. And we can’t do much about the past.

            “If you can’t fix it, feature it” points out that there’s more than one way of perceiving something. And we are constantly faced with deciding which point of view we will use on any given day. One day we feel pretty good about ourselves; the next day all we seem to notice is what we think is wrong with us.

            I heard a cute story about a young boy who was given his first bat and baseball. He could hardly wait to go outside and use them. The boy’s parents stood at a window, watching their son throw the ball in the air, swinging at it and missing over and over again. 

            After watching his son strike out for about 15 minutes, dad went outside to help lift the boy’s spirits. He said to him, “Maybe you’re just not meant to be a hitter.” The boy replied, “Hitter! Who cares about hitting? Look how great I’m doing at pitching!” Two different ways of seeing. We all play the game of life according to what we think is important — according to our own perception. 

            Have you ever heard about Roger Crawford? Roger is in his forties and makes his living as a professional speaker and consultant. He was awarded the Speaker Hall of Fame award and does consulting for Fortune 500 companies. Roger was also a professional tennis player.

            Right about now you may be thinking, “Ho-hum, so what!” Well, the thing is, Roger has no hands and only one foot. He was born with a thumb-like projection on his right forearm, and a thumb and finger extending from his left forearm. He had no palms, his legs and arms were short, and his left leg had a small foot with only three toes that was amputated when he was five. But Roger’s parents gave him the opportunity to see things from a perspective that came from love rather than pity, strength rather than weakness and significance rather than disability.

            Today, he works with organizations that want to move beyond their limitations and create success.  Roger inspires them to see life and the work they do from a positive, creative perspective.  

            Roger Crawford has been featured on shows such as Larry King Live and Inside Edition. He been written about in USA Today, Tennis magazine and Men’s Fitness magazine.  He was also featured in the television movie, In A New Light. His books are titled, Playing From the Heart and How High Can You Bounce? Can’t you just hear him saying, “If you can’t fix it, feature it?”

            How high can you bounce? What have you ignored or downplayed or forgotten about that you can feature in your life? Take an inventory of the things you have thought are wrong with you or that you have considered weaknesses or circumstances you wish were different. Then, with that list in front of you, practice acceptance. Just say, “Okay, this is the way it is. I stop feeling sorry for myself, I stop letting this be a barrier to my progress or my success, and I stop standing in the midst of it.”

            Then, begin to allow new ideas, possibilities, strength, renewed energy and a fresh, new, positive viewpoint to take over on that mountaintop of acceptance. Acceptance offers you the opportunity to shape your life as you choose, and moves you away from an attitude of limitation and rigid assumption into possibility thinking. 

            You have the power to transform the things that you have thought are wrong with you into what’s right with you. If you are fearful, stop trying so hard to fix your fear and start featuring it as wise caution, protection and divine guidance. If you have doubts, stop trying to fix your doubt and feature it as your motivation to seek the truth that will set you free. If you harbor anger inside you, stop trying to fix your anger and feature it the way Jesus did when he chased the moneychangers out of the temple.

            Instead of trying to fix or get rid of or exclude those sometimes disturbing human emotions, feature them by letting them tell you what they want to tell you. Once you understand their message, you have the power to redirect their energies and feature them as that which supports your true purpose.

            It boils down to the fact that you have never had a problem with what you feel, but rather with how you use or are being used by what you feel.

            Look for the good in yourself. See things from a higher perspective and notice your blessings. Speak words of encouragement and sincere appreciation. Learn something new that will support your passion. And above all, if you can’t fix it, feature it.  n