I’m feeling discouraged today.
I’ve been attempting to prepare for this Sunday’s Let’s Write Creative Journaling Workshop (Psst! It’s FREE! Join us by simply CLICKING THIS ZOOM LINK on Sunday, May 10th at 8 pm Eastern / 7pm Central / 5pm Pacific)
But I’m feeling discouraged today. Maybe it’s the gloomy weather outside, maybe it’s the quarantine that has me pacing around my house, not able to concentrate on anything in particular. How many days have we been isolated at home? I’ve lost count.
What started out as, “I can do this and get so much accomplished” bravado when we were first asked to stay home, has turned into a deflated sense of “will this ever end?” To tell the truth, today I’m not so sure.
What’s the solution?
I can get in my car and go for a drive by myself to no particular place, holding no promise of anything special to do, then drive home; but the rain just started, and I don’t think it’s going to let up.
I could eat something, but I’ve already had breakfast (a couple of times), lunch, and two-afternoon snacks.
I’m could wait for happy hour, but even that benchmark doesn’t hold a guarantee of pushing aside the funk I’m in today.
Only I can change my attitude.
If I’m honest about it, I’m choosing to feel this way, by allowing my mood to go low and stay there. I call this “thinking horizontally.” I’m looking around and feeling the uncertainty that swirls into every corner of “these times.”
Even with my self-imposed ban on watching the daily news I still know doom and gloom is out there waiting to break into my world. But here is, already in my world, because I’ve chosen the doom and gloom in my attitude.
Here’s how I plan To Make a Different Choice today:
I want to get my heart and mind in gear. I want to meditate on the good things in my life. Scripture tells us to come before the Lord in praise and reminds us to meditate on things that are lovely, and praiseworthy.
"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things." (Philippians 4:8, NKJV)
This verse got me thinking. I have lots of things to be encouraged about today. I have this day. It will be like no other and I won’t be able to get it back. I’m not going to let my mind make a list of all the things that trouble me and are negative. That’s easy to do and digs a trench inside that gets filled with feeling sorry for myself. Instead…
I will choose a path to a different attitude:
I will start by looking around my house and to pick one thing I am grateful for.
I will write it down and describe it.
I will write why that particular thing is so pleasing and such a joy to me today. Maybe it’s my cup of coffee or ironed pajamas (I’ll write about that another time, haha!) Nothing is too small to notice.
Then I will notice how my mood lifts.
I will add to my list as the day progresses and think on these things.
Give it a try yourself! Don’t forget the blessings, gifts, and people that surround you — even from a distance. We have more going for us than we know and all it takes is remembering these things.
A discouraging morning can turn into a day of gratefulness. I don’t know about you, but I think we need more of those.
I feel better already.
The LET’S WRITE Creative Journaling Workshop Series might change your attitude too.
No sign-up or registration is required, simply CLICK THIS ZOOM LINK on Sunday, May 10th at 8 pm Eastern / 7pm Central / 5pm Pacific to join us!
The topic this month is Cultivating Growth.
I hope you can join us.