Burdens to bear or blessings to behold?

I am amazed how the very same event, condition or circumstance can be perceived as a burden or a blessing--the only determinant factor being my own perspective. I am a survivor. This was not always so. I was a victim first, with little to no ability to recognize my responsibility to myself or anyone else; including my children or society as a whole. It was a perspective that caused damage as much, if not more so, than the precipitating event or treatment from others which caused me to feel victimized. Having a recognition that the only thing I am truly responsible for is my own attitudes and actions--and recognizing I am not supposed to have the power or ability to make any one see anything as I do. "In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." Albert Einstein  For me this means in the middle of any shift in my beliefs, behaviors or attitudes, I have the opportunity to embrace all of what the experience offers. Sorrow, growth, awareness, connection and recovery. Ultimately, I more often than not find my burdens are my blessings. It is only through a willingness to accept all of the emotions, positive or not, tied to my experiences that I can truly learn whatever is possible in a given situation.