We all know life can be hard.
People hurt us, the past haunts us,
coworkers mistreat us, parents don’t
love us, friends don’t consider us,
spouses don’t honor us, children don’t
appreciate or respect us, finances
don’t support us, and our health
doesn’t sustain us. Sometimes having
a positive outlook and an optimistic
attitude can seem impossible to
achieve, much less maintain. But
even when life gets hard, we don’t
have to let our hearts get hard.
Whether or not our hearts and mind
stay positive in the midst of hard
times is entirely up to us, yet all too
often, we let our negative thoughts
harden our hearts. Fortunately,
through the strength, peace and joy
found in Christ, we are all capable
of shattering the hard shell on our
hearts by intentionally choosing to
think positive. Happiness is a choice,
not a byproduct of a perfect life. So
regardless of what life brings, we can
all choose optimism and joy.
Despite the hurts of your past,
the difficulties of your present
circumstances, or the fears about
your future, you can make optimistic
thinking a reality in your life. When
you do, your life will change, even if
your circumstances remain the same.
The first step in pursuing a changed
life is believing it can actually
happen for you. Below are a few
tips to start your mind over matter
transformation.
1. Don’t ask “why me?” Ask
“why not me?”Maybe you’ve found
yourself asking “why me?” when life
feels hard. When we feel crushed
under the weight of our problems,
we can’t help but think life is unfair,
and even maybe God is unfair since
He’s allowing such adversity in our
life. But John 16:33 (NLT) says, “I have
told you all this so that you may have
peace in me. Here on earth you
will have many trials and sorrows.
But take heart, because I have
overcome the world.” When I read
this verse recently, I was drawn back
to the word “all.” We could assume
Jesus meant “all this,” to refer to “all
this instruction I’ve told you.” Or we
could interpret it to mean, He told
us ALL that we would have troubles,
which we do.
At times we might still wonder why
others aren’t taxed with the same
troubles we are, or maybe it seems
we have more than our fair share,
leading us to entertain that life is
indeed unfair. But the fact is, we ALL
have difficult circumstances. Doesn’t
that actually make life fair? You
see, God doesn’t pick favorites, and
it wouldn’t be fair for some people
to have trouble and others to have
none. With that in mind, shouldn’t we
consider “why not me?” instead of
“why me?” When we are struggling,
it helps to remember God is a fair
and just God, and He loves us as
much as anyone else. All of us get
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