“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” St. Paul
“It’s just so hard” she went on to enumerate her struggles. “I don’t sleep, I worry all the time. About my son, and his school. I worry about my business, how can I take anytime off to help my son, my clients will hire someone else. I worry about my mother living so far away. She lives out in the middle of no where. What if she gets bitten by a copperhead? It’s just so hard.”
And she’s right. Sometimes it is hard. Sometimes it feels so dark that you can’t see anything. Here’s the thing. Life can be hard. What are we supposed to do about it?
I believe that we have a choice. We can get all in the muck and misery and complain to anyone who will listen, or we can accept that sometimes, things flat out suck. And then chose to refocus our minds on the positive.
It has been estimated that an average brain has anywhere from 25,000 to 50,000 thoughts a day and 70% of them are believed to be negative. There is other research that says that the mind can only consciously hold one thought at a time. So if we are feeding the brain negative thoughts then the depression or worry grows with it. If we start feeding the brain some positive thoughts then we can start to combat the darkness.
Now I know that depression is a real thing. If you are suffering from depression, seek help. DEPRESSION IS A LIAR. I’m not suggesting that you simply change your thoughts and your depression will lift. Sometimes we need help from a professional. There is no shame in it. It actually shows self love.
I am suggesting that we make a conscious decision to focus on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. When we do that consistently, we begin to reshape our thought life. The neural pathways in our brain begin to change. Over time, with consistent practice, the negative thoughts will slowly be replaced with more positive ones, automatically.
It’s magic. Whatever we focus on gets bigger. Focus on what is beautiful and the beauty in your life will grow. Focus on the crap… you get the idea…
Just For Today
I will recognize my negative thoughts. I will acknowledge that not every thought is beneficial or helpful to me. I will choose to think something different. Even if I have to say it aloud. “My thoughts do not define me. I will choose positivity. I will choose joy.” If I am unable to change my thoughts alone, I will ask for help from a trusted friend.
Prayer
Creator, I believe that you didn’t create me to be miserable. I believe that like a good parent, you want the very best for me. what parent doesn’t want his kid to be happy and peace-filled. Help become more aware of my thought life. Point out to me when i am the source of my own misery. Grant me more peace, help me to remember all of the times that you have carried me through tough times in the past. Remind me that a great deal of my negative thoughts are untrue. Reshape my mind. Make it friendlier, more hospitable.
Heather Dellapi 