Have a Good Day when Things are Bad

“Today is a very good day. Today is a very good day. Today is a very good day.”

One of my bosses told me that if you say it then you will begin to be it. I believe in the power of words, but I’m struggling to see that today is a very good day. Or even a kind of good day. I am not alone in my feelings. Over at Just Mommies the struggle seems to be a similar one. On top of everything that my own body is throwing at me there is so much more going on to try and bring me down.

• My husband just left to go to his accountability group – great for him and his well being (at least while he’s gone) but more work for me since I’m home alone to get the kids up and going and get the chores done around the house all while trying to work.

• The car wreck that happened back in May is FINALLY close to being worked out but I’m having to negotiate with insurance agents, adjusters and used car dealers – all of which have their own agenda.

• It rained AGAIN last night which means that I’m one more day behind on getting ready for my mom’s group to meet at my home (with all their kids) next Tuesday.

I’ve only been up an hour and I’m already tired. The emotions are real but they are completely unnecessary. It can be hard for me to focus on the positive for these few hours each month.

It would be easy to make excuses for my actions today. It’s perfectly with in my right to stay in bed with a heating pad and sleep (and I could). But it would not be the right thing to do. In the end, there is always an excuse to keep me from doing what I need to be doing.

I have to look for my strength and peace and joy from some place other than my physical being. The physical being is the one that would be in bed all day. It is right now that I have to push beyond the physical in order to be where I need to be to walk in the purpose for my life and to receive the blessings that God desires to pour over me.

Steps for Getting Beyond the Physical

1. Make a list of all the positive things in life. Focusing on the positive is one of the easiest ways to defeat the negative.

2. Sing. There is just something about the act of humming and singing that lightens the heart and lifts the spirit.

3. Cheer someone else up. Send a note or card to a friend that is having a tough time. The act of encouraging others will be encouraging to your own heart and mind.

4. Have a back up plan (like keeping extra meals frozen for easy fixing on days when the motivation level is low). Remember that some times the best plan is to have a plan B.

5. Skip a chore or two to lighten the load (just be sure that skipping the to-dos does not become the norm instead of the exception).

6. Ask a friend to help you out for a couple of hours. Sometimes just having the companionship will be all that you need to lift your spirits up.

7. REFUSE to complain. Negative words and negative thoughts will only pull down. Make an effort to speak and THINK good, positive and uplifting things.

8. Write a post about getting beyond the physical. 😀

Things are already looking up. My circumstances have not changed, but my attitude about those circumstances has started to turn around.

Today IS a very good day!