Sometimes it is hard to be that happy go lucky person all of the time though. I feel that since I am so blessed I have an obligation to share my happiness with other people. I'm sure some people find it very annoying, and I am sorry, but not that sorry. Life has a way though of bringing us to our knees and yes even I can lose my smile. Some would probably be surprised to know somedays I could cry all day or that there are days I don't want to get out of bed. The reason most people wouldn't know this is because instead of crying I laugh, and instead of staying in bed I go shopping (I think my husband would rather me stay in bed). I remember being a teenage and thinking life was hard, and it was hard. I remember being engaged and thinking life was unfair, and it was unfair. I remember being married and thinking life is ridiculous, and it was ridiculous. I remember being a new mom and thinking life was overwhelming, and it was overwhelming. The fact is we will all have moments in life that will be: hard, unfair, ridiculous, and very overwhelming. That doesn't give us the right go around being a grump all day everyday though.
How do we get though all the negative and craziness to find happiness again?
Be grateful. I would usually say that I am a very grateful person. I really do feel very blessed in my life. I recently was reminded of a scripture that I have been pondering for a while now.
"1Thessalonians 5:18
In Everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. "
I have went over and over this scripture. As grateful as I am, I am still working on being grateful for Everything. It is hard to be grateful for trials. I know looking back at hardships I have gone though that I have learned so much and gained a closer relationship with my Heavenly Father and Jesus christ because of the them. When it is in the moment though, it is much harder to say: "Thanks for the chaos God." This is exactly what I am trying to do though. "Thank you Heavenly Father for this trial, thank you for the strength I have to bear it. Thank you God for the lessons I am learning. Thank you for this opportunity to show you my faith. Thank you dear Lord for my husband to help carry my burdens." I am grateful for the bad times as well as the good. Without the bad there is no good and without the good there is no bad. We have to have both to know the difference between the two.
I am also go over daily what I am blessed with. I have an amazing husband, that has a job. I have a son that will hug and kiss me all day everyday. We have two vehicles and a roof over our heads. We have families that love us. I am able to stay home with my son, which has always been my dream. There is always food in the fridge...well as long as I go to the store. All in all though, I am blessed with much more than most people in this world. Looking at my blessing and showing gratefulness for them takes my mind off the confusion and pain that I feel at times.
Be positive. How can I expect to feel any better when all I am doing is going over and over all of the things going wrong? No matter how many times I go over things it isn't going to change the situation. I am a planner so when my plan gets thrown off ,or totally blown to bits, I have a very hard time accepting things. Here is the thing though, there is nothing I can do about it now: so why dwell on it with a negative attitude? If I change my attitude to one that accepts life as it comes, and not as I expected it to come, it goes much smoother. Then when I go a little bit further and actually have a positive outlook on what is laid before me and what life can be, this is when the happiness juices really start flowing. I have been able to have an amazing day just by being happy, going to the grocery store and being able to have a great conversation with and old man about his grandkids. It gives me butterflies when someone I don't know tells me I have a great smile, or just says thanks for opening a door. We don't do these things when we are negative and unhappy, and we don't see the joy from them. When we change our attitudes we are changing our hearts to be open to positive things coming into our lives.
Turn to the Lord. This is sometimes the most obvious and yet the last thing we do. There is a difference in praying to the Lord and turning to the Lord. I can pray to God everyday, but that doesn't mean I am turning my problems over to him. Sometimes I am so set in my ways and sure that my plan is the most beneficial for me that I tell Heavenly Father exactly what to give me and when. Then when it doesn't come I feel hurt and disappointed. I was recently talking to my mom and she said maybe I should pray that: "the Lord will bless me how and when he sees fit for what I need." She said "the Lord knows what is best for you, you need to trust him." This can be much harder than it sounds. Honestly when my mom told me this my first thought was: I know what I need, how can she tell me this when she can't even understand what I am going through? Here is the kicker though, after thinking about her words I know there is truth in them. If we allow Heavenly Father to bless us in his own time and trust him to know what is best for us, we will never be hurt or disappointed. I have had many ,what seemed like, unanswered prayers. What I know looking back is that my prayers were answered, but God answered them in his own way and not in the small box I wanted him to put the answers in. I am a work in progress and I am still learning that the Lord has a much better plan for me than my little planner mind could ever think of. There is another side of this as well. Even if we turn everything over to God it doesn't mean our problems will be solved the next day. For the time that we are going through our trial lean upon the Lord's strength and understanding to get us though it. We will feel pain and sadness it is inevitable, but when we trust in the power of the Lord and turn to him it can ease the pain and sadness.
Keep going. Last is to keep on keeping on. Don't give up. There is a new day, or a new hour, or better yet a new minute every 60 seconds. Why wait for tomorrow to get up and do better when you can give yourself 60 seconds to wallow in misery and then move on to being grateful, positive, and turning to the Lord. Life is not going to stop so we can't either.
Life is a Beautiful gift that we are given. Don't let the good times be shadowed by the bad. I know that we can find true happiness even in hard times and even when we think all of the happiness is gone. We do not always get to choose our circumstance but we are always given the choice to choose our attitude. Chose an attitude of happiness. Happiness is like wearing rose colored glasses, our life looks a little brighter and our problems don't look so dark and bleak. So be the person that smiles, be the person that laughs, you wont be disappointed. Life is filled with happiness, so go Find It!!
How do we get though all the negative and craziness to find happiness again?
Be grateful. I would usually say that I am a very grateful person. I really do feel very blessed in my life. I recently was reminded of a scripture that I have been pondering for a while now.
"1Thessalonians 5:18
In Everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. "
I have went over and over this scripture. As grateful as I am, I am still working on being grateful for Everything. It is hard to be grateful for trials. I know looking back at hardships I have gone though that I have learned so much and gained a closer relationship with my Heavenly Father and Jesus christ because of the them. When it is in the moment though, it is much harder to say: "Thanks for the chaos God." This is exactly what I am trying to do though. "Thank you Heavenly Father for this trial, thank you for the strength I have to bear it. Thank you God for the lessons I am learning. Thank you for this opportunity to show you my faith. Thank you dear Lord for my husband to help carry my burdens." I am grateful for the bad times as well as the good. Without the bad there is no good and without the good there is no bad. We have to have both to know the difference between the two.
I am also go over daily what I am blessed with. I have an amazing husband, that has a job. I have a son that will hug and kiss me all day everyday. We have two vehicles and a roof over our heads. We have families that love us. I am able to stay home with my son, which has always been my dream. There is always food in the fridge...well as long as I go to the store. All in all though, I am blessed with much more than most people in this world. Looking at my blessing and showing gratefulness for them takes my mind off the confusion and pain that I feel at times.
Be positive. How can I expect to feel any better when all I am doing is going over and over all of the things going wrong? No matter how many times I go over things it isn't going to change the situation. I am a planner so when my plan gets thrown off ,or totally blown to bits, I have a very hard time accepting things. Here is the thing though, there is nothing I can do about it now: so why dwell on it with a negative attitude? If I change my attitude to one that accepts life as it comes, and not as I expected it to come, it goes much smoother. Then when I go a little bit further and actually have a positive outlook on what is laid before me and what life can be, this is when the happiness juices really start flowing. I have been able to have an amazing day just by being happy, going to the grocery store and being able to have a great conversation with and old man about his grandkids. It gives me butterflies when someone I don't know tells me I have a great smile, or just says thanks for opening a door. We don't do these things when we are negative and unhappy, and we don't see the joy from them. When we change our attitudes we are changing our hearts to be open to positive things coming into our lives.
Turn to the Lord. This is sometimes the most obvious and yet the last thing we do. There is a difference in praying to the Lord and turning to the Lord. I can pray to God everyday, but that doesn't mean I am turning my problems over to him. Sometimes I am so set in my ways and sure that my plan is the most beneficial for me that I tell Heavenly Father exactly what to give me and when. Then when it doesn't come I feel hurt and disappointed. I was recently talking to my mom and she said maybe I should pray that: "the Lord will bless me how and when he sees fit for what I need." She said "the Lord knows what is best for you, you need to trust him." This can be much harder than it sounds. Honestly when my mom told me this my first thought was: I know what I need, how can she tell me this when she can't even understand what I am going through? Here is the kicker though, after thinking about her words I know there is truth in them. If we allow Heavenly Father to bless us in his own time and trust him to know what is best for us, we will never be hurt or disappointed. I have had many ,what seemed like, unanswered prayers. What I know looking back is that my prayers were answered, but God answered them in his own way and not in the small box I wanted him to put the answers in. I am a work in progress and I am still learning that the Lord has a much better plan for me than my little planner mind could ever think of. There is another side of this as well. Even if we turn everything over to God it doesn't mean our problems will be solved the next day. For the time that we are going through our trial lean upon the Lord's strength and understanding to get us though it. We will feel pain and sadness it is inevitable, but when we trust in the power of the Lord and turn to him it can ease the pain and sadness.
Keep going. Last is to keep on keeping on. Don't give up. There is a new day, or a new hour, or better yet a new minute every 60 seconds. Why wait for tomorrow to get up and do better when you can give yourself 60 seconds to wallow in misery and then move on to being grateful, positive, and turning to the Lord. Life is not going to stop so we can't either.
Life is a Beautiful gift that we are given. Don't let the good times be shadowed by the bad. I know that we can find true happiness even in hard times and even when we think all of the happiness is gone. We do not always get to choose our circumstance but we are always given the choice to choose our attitude. Chose an attitude of happiness. Happiness is like wearing rose colored glasses, our life looks a little brighter and our problems don't look so dark and bleak. So be the person that smiles, be the person that laughs, you wont be disappointed. Life is filled with happiness, so go Find It!!
♥ you Bekah. Wise words for all of us. And I, for one, am happy you are always smiling and happy. You make me happy every time I see you.
ReplyDelete