By Leigh Currey Merrifield
I’m sure you’ve all had bad days; we all do. Things simply don’t go smoothly EVERY day! I’ll share my own experience. Recently, I had a day when very few things went well. One maddening experience was followed by another, and by the end of the day, I was beyond frustrated and patience was out the window! The next day, unfortunately, was a carbon copy, and I was far from being in a good mood. When I woke on day #3, my first thought was “Well, I wonder what aggravations will I be forced to deal with today?”
My thoughts were predicting yet another bad day. WRONG MOVE! My mind was focusing on the negative when I should have awakened thinking with positivity that it would be a much better day. The truth is that the days of our lives are never guaranteed to be perfect, and sometimes bad days do come in clusters. But is that partially because our thoughts have created that mindset of expecting the worst?
Truthfully, I was in a rut, so instead of allowing it to continue, I gave some deep thought to pulling myself out of the dumps. One of the first things that came to mind was to daily incorporate my mother’s favorite saying – ‘count your blessings’ – into my morning routine. I take a few moments as soon as I wake up to mentally list at least three things I am thankful for, and it seems I never run out of blessings – both big and small – and that gives me a joyful boost before my feet even hit the floor!
I also decided to end each irritating day I have by reminding myself of a lovely thought instilled by a retired minister who is a friend of mine. In his calm voice, he says, “This too shall pass”! A simple statement of few words, but loaded with truth. Remember, we are in control here, so put mind over matter!
Life often gets a bit too busy, and from what I read, it can be very helpful to our attitude to create some time for ourselves to wind down a little. For instance, take time to simply enjoy a beautiful sunset; on a pretty day, go outside for some sunshine or take even just a short walk; read a good book; pursue a hobby you might enjoy; take pleasure in recalling happy memories; offer kindness and support to someone else’s life; seek bonds of friendship with those who are kind, caring, loyal, optimistic, and lift your spirits; and by all means, allow yourself moments to really feel God’s presence.
Give it some thought because our thoughts and state of mind carry a lot of weight; a happy, healthy, positive mindset can change our attitude, our outlook, and even our mental health. You’re in charge; your thoughts are your choice.
Quote of the Week: “I have about concluded that wealth is a state of mind, and that anyone can acquire a wealthy state of mind by thinking rich thoughts.” ~ Andrew Young
