My car was once stolen from the parking garage of our condo. I remember going down and confusedly wondering why I couldn't remember parking in my usual spot. I then realized that the car was indeed gone. Fortunately, it was found a week later, being driven by a fourteen-year-old who "needed it" to go roller-skating.

When I received an email newsletter from Troy White talking about how his home had been broken into while the family slept, it immediately brought to mind the feelings that I had at the time.

Troy writes:

"Anything could have happened. Fortunately, nothing did. A missing purse and minivan - who cares? We are all fine - which is what really matters."

This is an excellent example of a change of perspective, which goes a long way to speaking about how well Troy handled this situation. Without that perspective, this event could go on to create havoc, physiologically speaking.

The more frequently you can change your perspective, especially in instances when your "stress meter" climbs to the high alert stage, the better you become at handling what life lobs your way. It's not always easy, particularly, if you've had a lifetime of practice looking at things in a certain way. It is, however, a skill and that means it can be learned.

As for my car, I considered myself fortunate. I did get it back with minimal damage. My neighbour, whose car had also been stolen that week, was not so lucky.

At the time, I was angry because it was a violation of what I had worked for, as well as a huge inconvenience that involved paperwork and some other hassles. However, the bottom line was that it could have been much worse.