“It is what it isn’t.”
When your spirit speaks up in a matter-of-fact, no-nonsense tone reminiscent of your mom? You know–Motherus Prime? You listen. Closely.
To listen means to shut it. I did. Then I repeated it back.
“It is what it isn’t?” My spirit’s nod and baleful stare reminded me of a high school typing teacher. I figured I’d best buckle down and consider the statement. Here’s what I mined from it.
“IT IS WHAT IT ISN’T” means
Life most often follows your own choices. Sometimes those choices are not your own but impact your life anyway. Either way, choices have consequences. Always. Choices rashly made when young often don’t reveal their real consequences until later in life, yet they do appear. Throwing things or punching holes in the wall is a waste of time and energy. Own your choices, or those of others, that have affected your now. Decide a plan of action to counteract the negative aspects, and learn and build upon the hard-earned and -learned lessons.- Being a Godly person won’t immunize you against this. Christians face the same trials and life challenges as anyone else. Thinking that becoming a Christ-follower exempts you from life’s bad stuff – or magically wipes your whiteboard clean of the consequences of your bad choices – only results in you becoming a spiritual snowflake.
- You need to deal with the reality of your ‘now’, while working toward your dreams. Growth – personal and spiritual excellence – is the thing. Every next level of your life will demand a different you. Trying to deal with your ‘now’ while mooning about your ‘Then’ has the same effect as texting while walking.
May I encourage you to say it to yourself? It is what it isn’t.
Anyone can repeat, “It is what it is,” shrug, and walk away waggling their head back and forth and merely accepting what is. “Can’t do nuthin’ ’bout it. It is what it is.” That’s a ho-hum, miserable way to exist.
I’m encouraging you to live. Don’t just accept what is. Narrow your eyes and take a hard look at what it isn’t. Accept that. Receive it. OWN it.
Do it daily. Once you establish that habit of recognizing the truth of what isn’t, and why it’s not, the easier it will be to begin addressing how to improve your is. You’ll have clarity of vision and thought.
Refuse to mope around, forever moaning on Facebook about how rough and unfair your life is. Instead, begin using that same time working on yourself, finding or making ways to change your Isn’t into Is. So what if you made bad choices back there? Make some better ones now.
Who knows? One day, accepting and realistically dealing with all those Isn’ts may help plunk you right down in the middle of The Wonderful World of IS.
© D. Dean Boone, September 2017