“There’s a dark and a troubled side of life
There’s a bright and a sunny side too
Though we meet with the darkness and strife
The sunny side we also may view
Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side
Keep on the sunny side of life
It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way
If we’ll keep on the sunny side of life” “Keep On The Sunny Side” by A. P Carter
The struggle of being positive might be harder than it would seem. You may consider yourself to be a generally optimistic person who tries to look on the bright side of things — or maybe you’re a pessimist, attempting to see things more realistically. Regardless, it is healthy to focus on the good in life, and to try to grow in the area of finding it.
What do you do when a negative thought enters your mind? Do you push it down or aside, trying to simply discard it? Do you dwell on it for a long period of time? I find that I dwell on those thoughts for a while. I used to think that I deliberated subconsciously, and that I couldn’t help but think about those thoughts – they were out of my control. But lately I’ve realized that isn’t true. I am in control of my thoughts. I had simply not cared to escape that unpleasant thought process enough to try and get rid of them.
The more I considered this, the more I noticed when troubling thoughts popped into my head. I hadn’t always realized how much I dwelled on what someone said or did, or what I had or hadn’t done. As I became gradually more aware to how much time I spent on negative thoughts, I realized just how incredibly unhealthy it is!
Now, whenever I notice myself going down the path of brooding, I stop myself, and ask God to take away these thoughts – then I deliberately think of something completely unrelated. I am encouraged, as day by day, it becomes easier to choose joy! At the start of this journey to banish unwanted thoughts, I picked a certain topic to think about when I get upset. I chose nature, because nature calms me down and reminds me of God’s presence in everything – plus, nature is such a big topic that I can lose my train of thought pretty quickly.
I recently started a new devotional, called Joy and Strength by Candace Cameron Bure and brought to the YouVersion Bible app by Dayspring. The first day of this devotional is titled “A Healthy Dose of Gratitude.” It talks about finding something to be thankful for in each and every moment, and I find this practice wonderful and effective. Not only does thanking God bring Him praise, it centers our hearts back off of us and onto God and positivity. Candace Cameron Bure mentions how finding gratitude is simple, because it can be found everywhere, and in any form!
“God’s gifts don’t need fancy packaging to qualify for gratitude. Most of life happens in the small surprises and simple pleasures. That means anything counts! From an extra-long hug from your child, to another driver letting you in front of them during a rough commute, to trying on a beautiful new shade of lipstick or enjoying a taste of chocolate after a good meal, God’s goodness is all around. We just need to be watching for it.” – Candace Cameron Bure
If it makes you happy, thank God for it! It doesn’t need to be something huge or monumental. Every day doesn’t have to be revolutionary, but it can still be special if we look hard to find the joy in the ordinary. Did a math lesson take 10 minutes less to do? Thank God for 10 extra minutes of free time. Did you have an exciting dream last night? Thank God for blessing you with a happy night of sleep. Did you spill your coffee all over the kitchen table? Thank God for providing you will coffee in the first place! The more thanks we give, the less we focus on the negative because we are too busy thanking the LORD to “give the devil a foothold”! (Ephesians 4:27)
My prayer for you is that God will open your eyes to how much time is spent on bad thoughts. Even if someone else is completely in the wrong and you have a hard time justifying their actions, do not think about it for longer than necessary. Trust me, it’s for your own health. Soon enough, practicing gratitude, positivity, and praise will become how you naturally live your life. One place you will always be – no matter how many times you move or travel – is in your own head. I pray that we all can fill our minds with constant and overflowing joy, so that our heads are a wonderful, God-praising place to live!
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17
“‘In your anger do not sin.’ Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Ephesians 4:26-27
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5, emphasis added.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, 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.” Philippians 4:8
Chick & Co.
Living the Sweet Life
Chick & Co. 