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Personally, I think it’s alot easier NOT being thankful. Yup, I said! Would you rather me lie to you?

Let’s just be honest here. It’s easier to dwell on the negative than the positive. I’ll even say, for some, it’s natural to be pessimistic (I’m raising my hand).

I see this often in any counseling situation I’m in. Finding something to be thankful for isn’t on the forefront of your mind when you feel depressed, angry, or anxious. How does one stay thankful if they’re going through problems and needing couples counseling?

Say “Yes” to negative

OK, this already sounds crazy, right? But, here me out…

In counseling, many people want to just forget the negative. I don’t recommend that! You don’t want to mask your problem with fake smiles while there’s an elephant in the room. That’s not being truthful nor is it being true to yourself. No facades here. We’re facing it.

By faking or masking it, you will prolong the issue because the problem is still there! This is what I help people accept in counseling sessions. Let’s just accept that not everything is ok. Now, you’re being real!

Now, stop chasing the pain!

Chasing the pain is when we continually dwell on the negative that has happened. Sure, it’s natural to go there, but everything in moderation and balance is key. We want to acknowledge that there are problems, NOT dwell on problems. Dwelling gets you down or worried, and we know what Jesus says about being anxious…

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? ~Matthew 6:27

The answer is obviously, “No”.

If you are going through a loss and experiencing grief, this can be tougher for you, but it’s also understandable. There is a degree of “chasing” that you will do. This is part of the grieving process. You just do your best to get through those moments. As time passes, you can begin to see less chasing, but eventually, it must be you who wants to move on/ move forward.

Be a Disciple

Jesus’ ministry was all about making disciples worldwide.

The way you, as a person, will grow is learning! Believe it or not, THAT is the secret!

Bad things are going to happen; that’s a given. The question will be, “Are you will to learn from your issue/ your problem?”

Some issues are bigger than others, but every problem truly has a blessing in disguise. There’s always opportunity, and there is always an answer (in Christ).

But, will you accept that? Will you accept defeat AND accept the lesson? It’s interesting how God will tend to give us the test first and the result is either a testimony or a great lesson.

And… Action! Be Proactive.

This is so cliche. We see this posted all over the place and here’s why; IT’S TRUE! The decision to be more spiritual, happy, thankful, fill in the blank, comes from YOU!

If you need help, YOU need to speak up!
If you want to guidance, YOU need to pick up the phone!
If you want to be thankful, YOU must consciously seek this with a laser focus.

This will pass you up if YOU are passive!

Next time, I will give you some practical ways on how to be thankful…