choose to
"happiness is a choice, not a result. nothing will make you happy until you choose to be happy."
we all have those days where we wake up on the wrong side of the bed. we are grumpy. nothing can go right. you may have overslept. you realized you haven't done laudry in two weeks and have nothing to wear. you have a parking ticket. you dropped your chickfila nuggets on the ground. whatever the case is...the day was just rolling with chaos one after another. trust me, i have been having those days a lot recently.
latley, i've been feeling like i am in a slump. the slump that makes you so frustrated you sort of lash out on your friends or family. the slump that makes you overreact on small things. but your attitude determines your whole day. even your whole week. it determines your outlook on school, relationships, work, family, etc. the small things don't need to be so stressed over. you can fix your alarm so you don't over sleep. you can even just wash a little bit of your clothes, not all. you can pay that parking ticket. you can get more chickfila nuggets. maybe even buy some chocolate because that always helps.
but....life is great. Jesus tells us in 1 Peter 5:7, "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." that anger thats dwelling inside of you, tell Jesus. those situations that made you work yourself up and be upset, tell Jesus. what worries you, the people who criticize you, whatever you want to complain about, tell Jesus. what you don't like, you can change. redirect your attitude. choose positive over negative. think confidently.
i tell you this:
choose to pray:
wake up and pray to have a grateful heart. pray that you have a positive attitude. pray that the devil doesn't allow you to dwell on that anger you have inside. pray for your friends. pray for your family. pray for your relationship. pray that Jesus will show His light in you to others.
choose to see what is good:
be a light. bring out the better side of people. try to not assume. we cannot control other people or their actions. we can control our attitude and how we choose to see others.
choose to reflect on your blessings:
go for a frozen yogurt run. watch the sunset. take a hike. call up the person you miss. be thankful for your friends and family. be thankful you have place to call home. be thankful that Jesus woke you up today.
choose to smile:
we can all think of that one person who has the most contagious smile. their smile makes you smile. its so simple. its happy. its comforting. smile at a stranger. smile at your dog. smile at your cat. smile at your horse. smile at all your animals. just smile in general. it makes anyone's day.
choose to see your setbacks as stepping stones:
i know we all tend to feel frustrated when things don't go our way. sometimes the space between where you are and where you want to be can be discouraging, but remember that all good things take time. God knows what He is doing. He is perfectly paving the right path for your life right now as you read this. whatever it is you are going through that feels like God is just tearing your life apart...i promise He isn't. you do not have to have everything figured out right now. just take a deep breath, pray, and keep moving forward. He says in Psalm 23:2-3, "He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake." little by little, step by step, Jesus will get you where He wants you to be. even if the steps are small, they are still steps in the right direction. don't give up. trust there is a better plan, because there is.
