I read an article in the Los Angeles Times recently about a man that brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face. Not so much because of what happened to this man, whose name is Timothy Atkins, but because of his heart and how he's responding to what happened to him.
Timothy, and his friend, Ricky, (who was killed while in prison) were sent to prison for a murder they didn't commit. 20 years later, Timothy was released when the young woman who put them there in the first place due to her testimony, finally came forward and told the truth of their innocence and her false testimony.
Now, you might expect any human being who lost 20 years of his freedom and his friend to murder, might have just a little bit of anger built up inside. Well, not this man. He took this experience and chose to make lemonade out of lemons.
"I was a gang member. I was a thief and I had a drug habit. The life I was living before, I probably would have ended up dead."
And as if that wasn't enough he went on to say; "The past is the past. If I see her, I'll speak to her and if I can help her I will." Referring to the woman who gave the false testimony.
He went in at 19 and was freed at 39 years old.
What's his plans for his future? He wants to counsel at-risk youths.
Timothy is a magnificent example of what it means to live from a place of compassion, forgiveness and love. He is a living example of how we are always at choice with the stories we choose to create about our lives no matter what circumstances are thrown at us.
So tell me, what's your life story?
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