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How I see my life path is a choice I make minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day… And this choice will determine the quality of my life.

Life's quality hinges on how choices are made daily. The story of Roger McGowen, an inmate who turned his suffering into an opportunity for growth, illustrates the power of perspective. By embracing gratitude over resentment, individuals can transform their experiences and foster personal development, regardless of circumstances.

In This Article

• What challenges arise from life’s circumstances?
• How can perspective shift personal growth?
• What methods facilitate a change in mindset?
• How can these principles be applied in daily life?
• What are the limitations of this approach?

“May I learn to discern the perfect plan behind all events of my life.
May I see that every single thing that happens in my life is a  gift
     from Providence to enable me to  grow and flourish and expand.
May I bless those who curse or harm me, those who gossip
     or spread lies about me, as Life’s tools to enable me
     to grow in integrity, detachment and strength.”

-- 365 Blessings to Heal Myself and the World, Pierre Pradervand

For 25 years I have been corresponding with an African American inmate from a very modest background, Roger McGowen. He has spent 35 years in jail (25 of which on death row) for a crime we are absolutely convinced he did not commit. But when you are poor and black in the State of Texas, your chances of obtaining true justice are very slim.

This man, who entered prison full of revolt and hatred towards the racist justice system that led him there, then chose instead to use the system that wanted to crush him to transform himself and to grow.

New Attitude

Thanks to a book (Messages of Life from Death Row) that relates his incredible odyssey, thousands of people throughout the world have been touched, and he has become a true master of life for hundreds, including myself.

He wrote to an acquaintance of mine:

“Sometimes, people who greet me ask ‘how are you today, Roger?’ And I tell them I am blessed that God saw fit to allow me to make right today what I failed to get right yesterday – by opening my eyes. Thus, it all depends on me. Yes, each day is a new opportunity for me, as it is for you, to do better than we did yesterday!
So, I think I am where I am meant to be for the moment. When God thinks this task he has set for me is complete, perhaps nothing will hold me in prison any longer.”

Victim or Choice-Maker?

Here is a man who for 35 years, has been the victim of an intolerable injustice, and who chooses to see in his life a path mapped out by Infinite Love for him to grow, and help others in doing the same!

How I see my life path is a choice I make minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day… And this choice will determine the quality of my life.

Complaint or gratitude? The choice is mine.

©2021 by Pierre Pradervand. All Rights Reserved.
Reprinted with permission from the author's blog.

Book by this Author

365 Blessings to Heal Myself and the World: Really Living One’s Spirituality in Everyday Life
by Pierre Pradervand.

Can you imagine what it would feel like to never feel any resentment for any wrong done to you, gossip or lie disseminated about you? To respond with full awareness to all situations and people rather than react from your gut? What freedom that would entail! Well, this is just one of the gifts the practice of blessing from the heart, i.e. sending out focused love energy, will do for you. This book, from the bestselling author of The Gentle Art of Blessing, will help you learn to bless all situations and people as you go through the day and add overwhelming joy and presence to your existence.
For more info and/or to order this book, click here. Also available as a Kindle edition.

More books by this Author

About The Author

Pierre Pradervand is the author of The Gentle Art of Blessing. He has worked, travelled and lived in over 40 countries on five continents, and has been leading workshops and teaching the art of blessing for many years, with remarkable responses and transformational results.
For over 20 years Pierre has been practising blessing and collecting testimonies of blessing as a tool for healing the heart, mind, body and soul.
Visit his website at https://gentleartofblessing.org
   

Article Recap

Choosing to view life through a lens of gratitude and growth can significantly enhance personal well-being. Embracing this perspective may require practice but can lead to profound freedom and joy.

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