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By Gail Lynne Goodwin.

Six weeks. Forty-two days.

If you live in a climate where you only have 6 weeks of summer, it flies by in an instant. But, if you have to go on a restrictive diet for 6 weeks, suddenly that same period of time drags on as if it were eternity. Funny thing is, forty-two days is still forty-two days. The only thing that makes it seem long or short, is our perspective.

Just a couple of weeks ago I was coaching a client through a difficult situation where she needed to relocate for her job for 6 weeks. It’s difficult to leave family and responsibilities, even if the disruption will create a positive outcome for the rest of her life. I remember telling her that Memorial Day will be here before she knows it, and the time will fly by! Besides, we can do anything for 6 weeks, right?

10 Birds By Razorfrog

The next day I went skiing, tore my MCL and fractured a bone in my right knee. I had to laugh when the orthopedic doc told me I needed to be on crutches for 6 weeks. SIX weeks?! I can’t do that! I’m too busy! I have places to go, people to see, things to do… I can’t disrupt my life! Six weeks is F-O-R-E-V-E-R!

I didn’t miss the irony in my good-intentioned words from the previous day, as they came back to haunt me. We can do anything for six weeks. The period of time was exactly the same, yet suddenly six weeks felt so much longer when it was ME facing a task for six weeks.

But regardless of how we look at it, it’s still 42 days. The only thing that changed was my perspective.

I was reminded that I might not get to chose the situation or the circumstances, but I DO get to chose the perspective at how I look at life.

The next time I whine about something taking sooo long, I’ll remember that time is what it is, and the only thing that makes it different, is the value I put on it.

Photo Credit: Max Elman

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Gail Lynne Goodwin is the founder of InspireMeToday.com, bringing the best inspiration to the world. InspireMeToday.com provides free inspiration, each day from a new Inspirational Luminary, to a global community of folks from over 150 countries. Gail has interviewed many well-known names including Sir Richard Branson, Guy Laliberte, Seth Godin, Tony Hseih, Gary Vaynerchuk, Michael Gerber, Marci Shimoff, Jack Canfield and hundreds more. According to Mashable, Gail was one of 2009's Top 25 Most Inspirational People on Twitter.

Prior to InspireMeToday.com, Gail spent several years as manager for her recording artist daughter, Carly. As a result of the success of their co-penned song, "Baby Come Back Home", Gail accompanied her daughter to bases in the US and to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where Carly performed for our troops. Gail and Carly created the 'World's Longest Letter' of love and support and delivered the 18-mile long scroll on a month-long tour of Iraq and the Persian Gulf in 2006.

Gail is excited to present her latest course, Love in 21 Days, a step-by-step guide to finding love online. Love in 21 Days is founded on a logical process that has been tested - and proven! - by not only Gail, but also by students around the world who too have found love.

Gail is a published author and a regular writer for the Huffington Post. She offers mentoring and mastermind services to clients worldwide from her home in Whitefish, Montana. Follow Gail on Twitter or Google+.

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