WHERE DO YOU GO FROM HERE? By Bob Perks

I had two conversations this week with people who appeared to be in two different places in their lives. One was facing success and the other facing failure. Both of them were unhappy.

The first man had finally reached a goal in life that took him several years to complete. "It was all that I ever wanted," he said.

The other man had recently experienced great loss in his life. "It was all that I ever wanted," he said.

The successful man was sadly depressed because he felt that life was over for him. "There is nothing more I can do!" he told me.

The man facing the great loss was sadly depressed because he felt that life was over for him. He also said, "There is nothing more I can do!"

Who is right?

Neither of them.

They are both in the exact same place. There is as much ahead of you after a gain as there is after a loss.

It's like playing your favorite sport. If you lose the game you must evaluate why, plan to improve your chances and come back fighting.

If you win, you must evaluate why, plan to improve your chances and come back fighting to stay a winner.

They both put too much value and importance in the things they had, rather than in who they were.

The successful man gained nothing if the journey to that success didn't inspire him even more. What lessons did he learn? What can he teach others?

The man who was facing loss truly failed because he found nothing of value in losing. What lessons did he learn? What can he teach others?

The successful man stood upon the mountain top and gained nothing from the view. The man who never reached the top stopped looking up. Both journeys are what I call "God inspired."

Nothing we do, nothing that happens ends, it is just continued in another form. Like tossing a rock in a still pond. The initial impact sends ripples across the water which eventually fade. But the presence now of the rock in the water has changed everything. That rock displaced water.

The first man's success sent ripples into the world. His journey to success and his arrival changed everything.

The other man's failed attempt also sent ripples into the world. His failure to arrive changed everything.

Both are immeasurable, but the fact remains, everything changed.

After telling them this story I asked both of them, "Where do you go from here?" In both cases there was silence.

"God made both you and the rock. The rock has no choice but to stay there."

Unhappiness is inspiration waiting to come to life. It is a sign of being"God Inspired." If you are unhappy, discover the inspiration within it. Ask yourself, "Where do you go from here?"

Listen. God is speaking to you right now. "I believe in you!"