Some of you might find it a stretch to see divorce, losing a job or going broke as one of life’s gifts but I will guarantee that if you have ever experienced trouble, adversity or problems that when you looked back on them from the future that there was always some gift hidden deep in the experience. This book’s message and purpose is simple – to ask you to learn to bring that future learning back into the present in order to benefit from your life’s gifts sooner rather than later.

Here is an excerpt from my latest book, Above Ground I thought you might enjoy.

“Troy, have you ever seen a person in pain smile? Have you ever seen a person facing tribulations smile? Have you ever seen a dog smile? Sure research is beginning to shed light on animal behavior and many believe that animals do have and show emotions, but they don’t laugh or smile. A dog can show pleasure and excitement. A cat can show indifference. A monkey can demonstrate curiosity but they don’t smile. Some would have us believe that some members of the animal kingdom smile like the Dolphin or the Monkey but if you will look closely, this is not a physical act in response to their environment. It is either their physical structure or our interpretation of what we choose to see. Only humans smile and laugh. Did you notice that while you were in Sarah’s presence that you found yourself smiling too? In spite of her condition and future? You see, the smile is one of life’s gifts that everyone was given. Some people use their gift while others hold it back for fear of showing inconsistent behavior.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, if you are discouraged, in the midst of failure and despair and you are smiling people might get the wrong impression. They might incorrectly believe that you are happy with your current conditions or state. But this might not be necessarily true. Some people like to laugh in the face of adversity. Their attitude is – Bring It On – I can handle it and I will handle it with a smile. However many of us are more concerned with how other people might interpret our smile or laughter and believe that we don’t care. So, we behave consistent with how we think convention or other people believe we should behave. Try it some time. If you are in the midst of a discouraging situation and your wife is upset about it, smile and start laughing and I will bet that her reaction will be less than rewarding for you.”

“You know, you are right. I often find myself wanting to smile but don’t for fear I will send the wrong message. I want people to believe that this is serious and that I am distraught and worried and it is hard to convince them of that if I am laughing or smiling.”