Life Is Not Always Fair

I once heard the story of a grown bear that lived in a cage and traveled with a circus ever since he was a small cub. The bear spent everyday of his life pacing back and forth in his cage while countless spectators looked on. When the bear's keepers were not looking some of the spectators would poke the bear with sharp sticks or would throw pieces of food filled with broken glass into the cage. When the great bear would eat what he thought was a wonderful treat, the broken glass would cut the inside of his throat and stomach.

One day a wealthy animal-lover visited the circus and saw the harmful acts committed against the bear. Because he felt great compassion for animals he approached the circus about purchasing the bear. He explained that he would take the bear and place him in a large open area. In this area the bear would have cool pools of water to play in and lush grassy fields to run. The circus agreed to sell the bear to the man and set up a delivery date.

When the day arrived for the bear to be delivered everyone was anxious to see what would happen when the door of the cage was opened for the first time. To everyone's amazement, when the cage was opened, the bear did what he spent every day of his life doing. He simply paced back and forth the length of the cage. The bear didn't even seem to care that the cage door was open. Finally, the bear's keepers got the bear outside the cage and rolled it away. What they saw next shocked everyone.

The bear looked around at his new beautiful home. He looked at the cool pools of water and the lush green pastures. Then to everyone's surprise and disappointment, the bear began his pacing. Back and forth he would go ? as in an imaginary cage. Eventually he had to be put to sleep because he could not function in his beautiful new home.

I hope and pray that you are not living a life like the bear described above. I heard a quote recently that went something like this, "Don't let your past dictate who you are, but do let it influence who you become." It is a well-known fact: Life is not always fair. Therefore, I am of the opinion that when life turns up the heat what you F.O.C.U.S. on helps you make it through the day a winner. My good friend, Robert Mallon, explains it this way, "The longer we look at God the smaller our obstacles become. The longer we look at the obstacles the smaller God becomes. The question is whether we want a BIG God or a big enemy. It is just a matter of perspective."

When life becomes unfair what do you focus on? The principles below are basic, but will powerfully help you when you are struggling to keep a positive outlook.

F - Fun. Set yourself a goal to have fun every day. Make it intentional. Put it on your calendar. Do whatever it takes ? just have fun.

O ? Organized. When life becomes unfair we can begin to let things pile up. Things like emails and phone calls to reply to, deadlines at work, laundry, yard work, etc. In other words, a cluttered life will bring about a cluttered mind. Or is that the other way around? Either way, as much as possible, keep your day-to-day activities as organized as possible.

C - Care for others. One of the best ways to forget how much you are hurting is to focus on how you can help others. Getting your eyes off yourself, and on to how you can help others, will boost your positive outlook on life.

U ? You. When you are going through tough times it is very important to keep a good diet, workout routine, and sleep habits. This will help keep your mind clear and your energy up. Remember, God loves you and He does not make junk.

S ? Successes. Not only should you plan to have fun everyday, but also you should plan to succeed. You might have to tell yourself to be on the lookout for successes in your day, but when you have one, (even a little one) celebrate. A recent rollerblading trip was an example of this in my life. My goal was to "blade" around this paved course (up and down, left and right) without falling. I looked like an elephant on skates, but when I made it to the finish line I was ecstatic! I accomplished my goal and lived to tell about it.

Life is not always fair. Deaths, sickness, career changes, and struggles are going to occur. Just remember to keep your focus and to hold tight to the hand of God. When times are tough, He will carry you to the end.

Footprints and Monuments is a free monthly leadership and motivational e-newsletter. No names receiving this e-newsletter is sold or distributed to any other source. You are encouraged to forward this monthly article to anyone in your address book. To un-subscribe please reply back with "Un-subscribe" in the subject field.

www.jeffearlywine.com

About The Author

Jeff Earlywine began his ministry career while working on his undergraduate Business degree. His experiences have led him to work in many difference areas that have all benefited the local church.

CONSULTANT - Jeff has spent the last fifteen years consulting with hundreds of different organizations all across the nation. Serving as a consultant at The Injoy Group challenged him to be his best while he worked with the best. Jeff has assisted many ministries in Vision Casting, Strategic Planning, and Future Planning.

EXECUTIVE PASTOR - Jeff's unofficial title was, "Pastor of Organization," and by this title you might know this is his greatest skill. That skill gave him the passion to organize many different ministries in the local church. That skill also developed a volunteer staff capable of growing each of these ministries. He did this by equipping them to fulfill their God-given potential.

Jeff's passion is to come along side the leader and help him to identify and develop his dream, organize the needs of that dream, and then to train and equip leaders to fulfill that dream.

www.jeffearlywine.com

tidy up service Northbrook ..

In The News:

ETA sharing on Apple Maps and Google Maps keeps contacts updated automatically while you drive safely. Learn step-by-step instructions for iPhone and Android.

Data removal from brokers protects against AI-powered scams and deepfake threats in 2026. Learn how data brokers sell your personal information to scammers.

Learn how to act against cybercriminals in 2026 with essential security steps like two-factor authentication, software updates and credit freezing.

Choose between OpenAI releasing Sora text-to-video model, the AI race heating up, or Waymo driverless cars launching in cities across the country

Learn how to set up Google Maps and Apple Maps on your phone to automatically remember where you parked. Step-by-step instructions for enabling location services and parking detection.

Phishing scammers use rnicrosoft.com domain to impersonate Microsoft by replacing "m" with "rn" in typosquatting attacks that steal login credentials.

OpenAI announces new teen safety rules for ChatGPT users under 18, blocking romantic roleplay and requiring extra caution on body image topics.

A 2025 data breach at fintech company 700Credit exposes personal information of more than 5.8 million people through compromised third-party integration partner.

Retailers lose $76.5 billion annually to return fraud as nearly 10% of U.S. retail returns involve fraudulent activity, with $850 billion in returns expected in 2025.

ShinyHunters claims responsibility for stealing 94GB of Pornhub user data affecting over 200 million records and demands Bitcoin ransom.

ChatGPT 2025 now connects to Apple Music, Canva, Expedia, TripAdvisor and OpenTable through built-in apps that help users create playlists, design graphics and more.

Apple releases emergency patches for two zero-day vulnerabilities actively exploited in attacks. iPhone and iPad users urged to update immediately.

DoorDash launches Zesty, an AI-powered social app that recommends restaurants through conversational search, now testing in San Francisco and New York.

Cybersecurity firm Infoblox reveals that over 90 percent of parked domains now redirect visitors to scams and malware, making simple typos extremely dangerous.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

GPT-5.2 is now live for all ChatGPT users with improved coding, writing and image interpretation, with Kurt Knutsson offering his review.

New iPhone replacement scam uses pressure tactics and fake carrier calls to steal devices from buyers. Criminals claim shipping errors and demand urgent returns.

Amazon Ring's new facial recognition feature sparks privacy controversy as Electronic Frontier Foundation critics argue the AI upgrade expands surveillance risks.

New Android banking trojan Sturnus steals credentials, reads encrypted messages and controls devices.

Denmark's 3D-printed student village proves automation builds 36 apartments faster than traditional methods. Skovsporet project shows housing future.

Discover Android's new Sound Notifications feature that alerts you to smoke alarms, doorbells, and baby cries even when wearing headphones.

New SantaStealer malware reportedly threatens holiday shoppers with password theft. This Christmas-themed info-stealer targets browsers and crypto wallets.

The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.

San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.

FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.

Life Is Not Always Fair

Positive Attitude Tips