Did you ever notice how easy it is to get into that negative spiral when you are feeling down? It is like every single thing that you see or feel somehow validates your reasons for feeling so crappy. ‘Cause that is what we do. It is natural. We look in the shadows for our affirmations because they reinforce our pain body’s need to feel…well, more pain! It is like an addiction. It is hard to snap out of it.
Before you know it, you think your life sucks. People start finding it hard to be around you. The more bad things you dwell on, the more despair you feel. Bitterness and anger seep in. You become cynical and uninterested, jaded and annoyed. The world is out to get you. You don’t realize that you have done this to yourself.
Oh the power of our thoughts and words…
That is where looking in the sunshine comes in. It is a choice and a way to break the vicious cycle of negativity under your dark cloud that seems to follow you wherever you go.
Looking in the sunshine basically means living in gratitude and thanksgiving. It means that no matter what “crappy” things happen to you, you realize and focus on 3 important things:
- It is not going to last forever. It will pass.
- God has a better plan for you than you thought that you had.
- You must focus on the good in your life rather than the bad. Be thankful in ALL circumstances, not just the perceived good stuff. It is ALL good even when we can’t see it right away.
What lessons are you supposed to learn? Is this really going to matter 5 years from now? It is really that bad? What blessings can come out of this? What are you thankful for in your life?
It is about stepping back and realizing that with great gratitude for even the most simple things, comes sunshine into your life.
Those things that would bring you down in the past no longer haunt you. You have acknowledged them and then you have given them to God to carry you through your storm. You know with all of your heart that everything is going to work out the way it is supposed to.
Once you start doing this, your cheerful countenance will not go unnoticed. You will feel different. You will affect others around you as they wonder what has gotten into you. Your answer? Thanksgiving.
So learn from me on this one. When you feel down, instead of jumping down that never-ending rabbit hole of self-destruction, STOP! Think about the good things in your life and thank God for every single one of them.
Thank you so much for reading today. I hope that I made you smile and think a little bit. Be sure to check out my Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud and Stitcher —- Jen’s 10 G’s