Choosing Where to Look

Choosing Where to Look

This morning, as I walked, I found myself standing between two very different views. To the west, the sky was heavy with storm clouds—darkness gathering, threatening to roll in. But to the east, the first hints of sunrise were breaking through, painting the horizon with colors of promise.

I realized in that moment that life always presents this choice: where will I put my eyes? Storms or sunrise? Darkness or light? Fear or gratitude?

Our sight reveals only the surface. A storm rolling in can cloud our view, create heaviness, and stir timidity or fear. Yet, just as the clouds hung to my west, I could still turn my eyes eastward. There, before the sun even crested the horizon, its rays already lit up the clouds, announcing a new day was coming. The sun wasn’t visible yet, but its effects were undeniable.

This is the same choice we face every day—in sports, in family, in career, in relationships. We can look to the storms of our past, the uncertainties of the present, or the anxieties of the future. Or, we can choose to focus on the possibilities, the hope, the blue skies ahead.

The storms are real. But so is the sunrise. One doesn’t cancel the other. What matters most is where we choose to place our gaze.

As I walked, I chose gratitude. Gratitude for my health, my family, my friends, the opportunities that lie before me. Gratitude for the fresh air in my lungs and the chance to see another sunrise. Gratitude shifts my attitude, lifting me above the clouds and into a place where love, hope, and faith can guide my next step.

The storm may still be there, but so is the sunrise. And today, I choose to look east.