Blindness is as terrible thing. A man who was losing his hearing once told me that he would much rather be deaf than blind. I do not know what to answer to that comment, but we can all concede that both are very difficult to live with.

We all face a blindness of sorts in some areas of our lives. We have learned that it is almost impossible to cope with any situation or factor that is not known to us. The terrorist attacks have given the world an unseen enemy. That enemy can only be destroyed once it has been identified. Only then will we know how to cope and what to do. Life is like that.

When we learn all the facts relative to any thing or situation, it is fairly easy to find a solution to whatever problem might arise concerning it. Humans are tremendously resourceful and can be quite ingenious in solving problems. If we do not know the facts, we are sightless, groping in the dark, trying to reach a destination without a guide or map. Contrary to some beliefs, life is not an accident and our futures will be controlled by others if we refuse to take control ourselves. We need a guide or map to help us determine right from wrong, good from evil and better from worse.

There is a downward spiral that too many of us enter into when we grope in the dark. When uncertainty overtakes us, that uncertainty turns into anxiety. Anxiety turns to worry. Worry turns to fear. Fear turns to hopelessness. Hopelessness turns to despair. Despair results in the tragedy of inevitable defeat and failure. None of us want that! Once a snow slide begins, it is very difficult to stop. The key is to stop things when they are very small, or better yet - to head them off in the pass!

Our lives, which include our jobs, homes and all relationships, depend on how we interact with others. That depends on the kind of person we are. Some people have what seems to be a natural ability to get along with others. The fact is that this has been learned. If it is learned early in life, it seems more natural. It is never too late to learn. We all remember the story of old Scrooge and how he learned hard lessons late in life. It is quite incredible to realize that though the human body shows the effects of age by slowing down and losing much of its ability quite soon in life, the human mind continues to be able to learn - and because it builds on that which is already known, it grows in its ability. The mind gets better! Top athletes often have to retire before the age of 40 while people in their 60s and 70s have done remarkable things with their minds. So the mind is the most important part of your body.

People generally do not like to have a light that shines on their faults. That is fair enough, because we do want to preserve our self-image and self-respect. The act of introspection is best done by yourself. We will strongly resist others (just think of our excuses) and we will also resist ourselves, but we have a better chance of really thinking when we take the responsibility upon ourselves to act.

Self-appraisal sounds simple, but it often hits a snag and ends up in a blind alley of self-deceit. We will use every trick in the book to camouflage and conceal, and evade the facts, rather than face them. Taking stock of ourselves is not easy, but it is the best way to go. We will be better employees and not only will the company benefit, but our road to success will be smoother. We can never face up to responsibility by evading it. We need to admit the facts we find out about ourselves and then do something constructive about them. We have to battle - but the battle or struggle is the crucible in which solid, good, reliable character is forged.

The process of thinking goes through four basic steps. Some people have stated these steps as: Observation, Incubation, Illumination, and Application. Another writer states them as: Perception or Sensation, Feeling or Emotion, Reasoning, and Action. In any case, we ought to realize that everything that we know comes in to the mind through our senses. That is the Observation part of the equation. During the Incubation period, factors like our emotions, moods, inner factors that impinge on the process all take place. The Illumination portion is the result of thinking (consciously or subconsciously) about the facts that have come in - obviously the clearer the facts, the better the thinking (the light comes on). Finally the Application portion, which is taking action and doing something about the process, takes place as a natural consequence.

In my own life, I recall clearly the trouble I had comprehending calculus at University. The professor could not speak English very well and the textbook seemed unclear. I wrestled with a concept for days and clearly recall the day that I was boarding a city bus and was not really thinking about much more than not stumbling - when all of a sudden the solution to the problem of calculus came clearly into my mind. It was a lovely shock. That kind of Illumination does not always take place, but somewhere in your thinking, I am sure it has happened to you.

Think for a moment about your working world. Has the manager ever had to correct you? Has he or she encouraged you or told you he expected more from you? Have your fellow workers expressed dissatisfaction in some form? All of these red flags should tell you that some self-evaluation is needed. It may be that after examining yourself you conclude that you were not at fault and the other was. Even that is a positive experience. Being totally honest with yourself for good or for bad is very important. It does not have to be a public thing - this is what you do in your private moments. Nobody can think for you, it really is up to you. Now, I trust you also have a whole load of compliments from your boss - take them as a pat on the back - well done!

Every employer loves an employee who is trying to fit into the scheme of things - a worker who thinks about his job and tries to improve conditions that are within his control. You cannot buy this sort of ability, but employers are willing to pay for it.

The choice is yours. We have the ability to make choices. We can choose to do the right thing, or we can do the wrong thing. We can search for the answers to the huge questions. We can choose to be better workers or worse. We can choose to believe false reports or determine to get the facts. We can let others make decisions for us or learn to make decisions for ourselves. Only you can live your life, but you may be allowing others to determine how you live it. You should be the one that determines that. Don't give away this precious gift and ability. - Robert Berendt, Contributor

Robert Berendt is a pastor with United Church of God,who currently resides in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. For additional information on this international association visit the association's Web site at http://www.ucg.org.