“IF ONLY…..” What sad words! I heard these at a funeral this week.

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“IF ONLY…..” What sad words! I’ve heard them many times before. “If only. . .” “If only I had listened to him, he might still be alive” or “If only I’d told her I forgive her before she died” So sad … but I've also heard "If only" as an excuse many times from many people . . [i]“If only I’d had better parents” “If only I’d had a better childhood” “If only I’d studied harder at school” “If only I didn’t have this bad back” “If only I’d married a better man” “If only I’d invested that lottery win instead of wasting it”[/i] It reminds me of a true story. A man had a garden which could have been beautiful, but he had a problem. An immense boulder was deeply embedded. He tried to blast it out but only shattered the windows. He refused to work on the rest of the garden while that eyesore remained, so he continued to use one harsh measure after another to remove it, but all without success. He bitterly bemoaned his lot. A few years later he died from worry and frustration, complaining that “if only” he had been able to remove that boulder, he could have had the most beautiful garden in the district. His nephew inherited the house and moved in. He perceived the hopelessness of removing the boulder, so he converted it into a rockery, covered with frescoes, flowers and ferns. The eyesore became the centrepiece and the biggest attraction of the magnificent garden. [b]How often do we face our problems with “If only . . .” Have you changed an "if only" to an "in spite of" and used it as an opportunity? [/b] “If only I could be free of this problem, I could be different!” “If only I’d had parents who cared, I’d be different today” “If only I'd had more opportunities …” “If only I had more spare time...” Some apt sayings: # Problems can make you soar above - or just plain sore! # Where there are no trials - there are no triumphs # When life hands you a lemon - make lemonade! # He who is good at making excuses is seldom good at anything else.