Recently I shared with my subscribers the affects tropical storm Fay had on our community. As all tropical storms or hurricanes in my part of the country do, Fay originated in the Caribbean. The warm ocean temperatures act as a feeding ground as these storms pick up speed and churn towards land, wreaking havoc with anything in their path.

We were treated to copious amounts of rain, downed trees and power lines. By far, however, was the inconvenience of having our electricity temporarily disappear. While we can all withstand some extra rain, a bit of yard trash and the general inconvenience of having our routines temporarily interrupted, when we find ourselves without electricity, that tends to affect us a bit more profoundly. Preparing for the worst case scenario, my wife and I had set out lots of candles and flashlights -- just in case what might happen, did happen.

At the sudden and unwelcome onset of finding ourselves without electricity, I grabbed for my trusty, blue, manly-looking, long handled, halogen bulb flashlight…the one that often causes me to make those Tim the Tool Man Taylor gorilla-like grunts whenever I pick it up. My "flash" was loaded with fresh D size batteries (the maucho sized big ones) and I was truly ready to be the light to overcome the darkness!

Like a knight yielding a long shiny and razor sharp sword, and with some sense of delightful anticipation, at the dawn of darkness I mashed the circular, black, rubberized-for-EZ-on/off switch, ready to pronounce that I, indeed, was the would-be savior of our darkened abode and would victoriously bring forth light!! Ta da!

Remember the scene on "Christmas Vacation" when Chevy Chase proudly announces to his family huddled in the snow covered front yard, that he is ready to plug in and illuminate the lights that he had painstakingly and hilariously put up? Let’s just say that I can now identify with what Chevy must have felt at that critical, not-to-be-triumphant moment.

The darkness won! While my batteries were new and ready for action, the bulb of the flashlight had quickly burned out.

After a couple of days of drying out, here’s the lesson I offer in this article. Most people, when their "light" goes out, react in panic. Think about it. During these dark times in your own life, how many times have you said things like, "Where will the money come from, " "When will I finally be happy" or "When is that special relationship I’ve been looking for finally going to happen?" And we freak out over it! It is a record that plays itself over and over in our heads. "When will I get THE THING?" The thoughts can tend to dominate nearly all of our waking thoughts.

If this describes you, you’re looking for the answer in the wrong place! You are likely pulling at the wrong end of the "purse string" and, moreover, you just may be pulling on only one end of that string. If you find yourself holding only the manifest end of the string, you have a hold on the wrong end!

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