Lately, as a counselor I am finding a growing concern with anxious thoughts. Anxiety appears to be an emotion that is on the rise (and anxiety can lead to depression). Of course, we are living in world that seems to encourage anxiety. However, let me say that just because there is unrest outside of us does not mean that we should have anxiety in us!
Think about it; situations, people, and what happens don’t make us anxious WE make ourselves anxious. It is how we decide how to respond to what is happening that will decide how we feel. As the saying goes: “What gets the mind gets us!” So, in the end it is we who will decide how we feel! Now, to me, that is empowering and a big relief. So, let’s see how this works and what we can do about it.
In life an incident occurs. Say, for instance, we get a text from someone we care about telling us that their brake light has just come on and they don’t know what to do. We have a choice. We can think the worst case scenario (oh my they are going to crash and die) or we can stop playing that awful movie in our mind and play one that is healthier for our emotional wellbeing. We can get the text and tell ourselves: “ok, Mary’s brake light is on. She must be ok as she is texting me. Seems like she wants me to be aware and maybe needs some advice. I am glad she reached out to me. Let me call and see what is going on and if she needs my help somehow.” In other words, calmly find out the facts before you come to any conclusions. Making assumptions can be emotionally draining and dangerous to our mental state of being. So, stop playing that awful scenario in your mind and play something healthier. Remember as a person thinks so they will be! (Proverbs 23:7)
The second and final suggestion that I want to share with you today is that to make sure that what you tell yourself something positive when in any given situation. We need to realize that the words we tell ourselves create our mental state of being. Death and life are in the power of the words we speak (Proverbs 18:21). If we speak encouraging, positive, uplifting words it will make us into encouraging, positive, uplifting people. It will also create a positive and healthy environment as it has created a positively mentally healthy you!
So, for now we need to start doing two things to effectively deal without anxious thoughts. First, we need to press the stop button on the unhealthy movies we play in our minds while we play healthier thoughts in our minds as we start speaking encouraging, positive, uplifting words! I am cheering for you and I know that together with God we can make this happen!
rekindletheflametoday 