It may seems strange but I have both an Eeyore and a Tigger figure on my desk. Sometimes back at Fort Bragg, people would think that I had them for children to play with while I'm counseling their parents. The truth is that they serve as reminders for me - so I brought them to Afghanistan with me. I can't remember where I first got the idea, but I know that Randy Pausch talks about it in his book, The Last Lecture.
They serve to remind me that I have a choice how to approach every situation, every challenge, every day. I can either be like Eeyore and have a negative attitude and approach everything like it's a chore, OR, I can be like Tigger and approach things with energy, positive focus, and a 'bounce-back' kind of attitude.
Here's the interesting thing to me...Tigger keeps falling over. I know it's simply because the figure has him standing on two small feet so any small jarring of my desk makes him fall over. Eeyore, on the other hand, is in his normal sitting position and never falls over. It's simple physics, but the lesson here is powerful. When you choose the TIgger approach in life, you may fall down quite a bit, but you never give up. You bounce back up and continue with the positive attitude. It doesn't take any effort at all to be negative (i.e. Eeyore just sitting there) and depressed. Anybody can do that. Maybe that's why so many people seem to choose the Eeyore attitude. What's important is that no matter how many times you fall, you get back up, and keep bouncing.
Obviously this can apply to so many areas of life - from continuing toward a goal after falling, to facing the grind of another day, to embracing God's forgiveness after stumbling, or maybe even making a change in approaching the new year.
So, just a little encouragement from...my Tigger and Eeyore.
Checking this while sitting in traffic. You write some good stuff. When you planning to write outside the lines of this blog??
Posted by: Stephanie | December 27, 2011 at 02:34 PM
You made me laugh during this windy rainy day,son. I can sure idnetify with the falling over of Tigger. Just to give you a for instance just yesterday as I am trying to get just a little bit more of garbage in the trash can by inserting my # 7 1/2 shoe in the can and I lost my balance. other legg goes up knocks the bowl of apples to the floor and I make a quick recovery, at least I think that's what happened. Up again on my feet and on to the next adventure. Happy New YeaGreat picture of you and COMBAT CLAUSE
Posted by: Robert C. Miller | December 27, 2011 at 05:13 PM
Hey Pastor Eric,
I am such a Tigger! and in so many ways! Always falling down is definately one of them! Nice to know I have friends around me to help me to my feet again!
Thank you my friend, Johnny
Posted by: John Myers | January 04, 2012 at 04:14 PM