A Simple Solution for Life's Problems
Here is a remedy for being cantankerous and just plain irritable about life’s situations. Instead of trying to force yourself to pretend you are cheerful about the circumstances that seemingly are getting the best of you, take a real-life approach to fixing the whole matter.
I discovered that circumstances do not truly create moods, people themselves do. Your frame of mind is not preconditioned to circumstances, which causes your emotional reader to act erratic. People have simply learned over time to associate emotional responses with certain occurrences. Our thinking patterns are involuntarily forced into emotional responses based on the consistent images that suggest behavior responses. It took years of seeing these mental images that became conducive to producing reactionary responses without forethought. Therefore, it is not that simple as to act as if you are happy about things falling apart in your life that can ultimately cause an emotional shift.
However, since you do not have as much time as you previously used to develop these preconditioned patterns, try another method that I believe will help you overcome the melancholy responses to your situations that will eventually lead to depression. This method is simple and you need not be a mathematician to apply this technique. All you need to know is how to add or reasonably consider and this system will work for you. Are you ready to hear how you can change your seemingly predisposed behavior?
Count your blessings or they do not count! “What?!” you might respond. I know that you thought that the remedy to controlling your emotional moods is in a more complicated process, but on the contrary. The answers in much of our problematic situations are discovered in simplicity.
Count Your Blessing. Think of how much worst your situation could be, if you are only considering how bad it is. There are more things working in your favor than working against you. When you begin to count your blessings, you will notice how the good will far outweigh your bad.
Therefore, thank God! Complaining about your circumstances will not fix it; it will only exasperate it. However, if you count the good things that can come out of a bad situation, you will cause your emotional response to react favorably instead of negatively. Try it; it works.
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About The Author
You know, it is so easy to fall into a pity party during situations like these (I am speaking for myself here). It takes a forcing of oneself to count your blessings and count it all joy during a rough situation to make it through, or else you will drive yourself crazy. Thank you Dr. Brown!
Once again Dr. Brown; not over the head but so simplistic and to the root. You have hit the head on target. Even for the very ‘best’ Christians it seems as if we have fallen prey to irritability as a disease. The Bible does tell us to count it all joy…despite the unhappy situation! Sir, since meeting you last year while I was TDY through the Owens family you have continued to bless me with awesome words of strength and encouragement…for that Sir I thank you…be blessed!!!!
I am grateful to God for my spouse and kids. I am grateful to God that I know Him and the I have a growing desire to know Him more and to do His will. I am grateful that even though all is not as I would have it to be, things are much better than last year. Finally, I am grateful to God that because of Him I have a hope and a future.
Thank you LORD!
The company that I was working for was subcontracted under a larger company and they (the larger) decided to cut-back. We the sub-company were told that we were safe. Being the person I am I was constantly encouraging others that the job is not our source, but God, to the believer.
Two weeks later I received my termination letter. Honestly speaking, I was beyond being upset. Then I remembered what I said, ‘the job is not my source.’ Talk about eating your own words! Nevertheless, I am reminded and confirmed through this blog that I am still blessed and actually I thank God for my ‘promotion letter’ and realize that I am truly blessed and my blessings count. I stand on Jeremiah 29:11 God has a plan for me.
Hallelujah!
Dr Brown,
Hi, I would really like to learn how to get out of the habit of blaming and being angry at God for my shortcomings. I don’t think I’ve ever been so down and out of my luck in my life before.
Wow! I definitely fell victim for having self pity when things weren’t going well. Since meeting my husband and attending CJC all that has changed. I am grateful for the simple things and when a “bad” situation presents itself I force myself to see the good and pray through it. I’ve become THANKFUL for the little things and in doing so it has made all the difference. Thank you Lord for all that you do, I love you.