When Your Positive Perspective Disappears

Positive or negative?

The glass half full, or half empty?

Do we see the rainbow, or only the rain?

Do we look at life being stressful, or do we consider it an adventure?

We have two ways to look at life… with a positive spin or with a negative one.

And I’m guessing we’ve all experienced both… in ourselves and in others.

I believe we are naturally bent one way or the other. We generally find ourselves either leaning towards a more negative perspective or towards a more positive one.

Think about yourself for a minute. In which way do you lean?

I am generally a positive person. Generally. Oh, I have my days of negativity, and there are times I have to fight to stay positive.

But, not so long ago, as I was sitting in my car in a parking lot after a doctor appointment, I came face to face with the realization I had slipped into a cycle of negativity. It had happened so subtly, I wasn’t aware I was viewing life with a half-empty perspective, until I caught myself in a pattern of pessimistic, doubt-filled, unpleasant, condemning thinking. I call this “stinkin’ thinkin’.”

Yes, I was doing a whole lot of stinkin’ thinkin’.

And seriously, I was shocked.

“How did I get here? Where have these thoughts come from? How long has this been going on? This isn’t me. I’ve got to do something about this.”

Arriving home that day, I asked my husband if I had recently seemed negative to him. In his kindness, his words confirmed I had been “a little” negative. But I know him too well. His “a little” meant “a lot.”

Yes, I had some changes to make, and quick.

I began to seek out scriptures I could keep in front of me.

To think about what’s best:

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Philippians 4:8 MSG

To examine my heart:

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7a NKJV

The heart overflows in the words a person speaks; your words reveal what’s within your heart. Luke 6:45b VOICE

To ask God to renew my thinking and refresh my heart:

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 NLT

So let us come to him with a true heart. Let us come because we believe all these things. Let us come with our hearts washed clean from our wrong ways. Let us come with our bodies washed with clean water. Hebrews 10:22 WE

It didn’t happen overnight, but in a matter of days, my heart became lighter and filled with joy. My thoughts became much more pleasant, and my attitude was a whole lot more positive.

Living life with a positive perspective is much more pleasant than with a negative one.

I’m guessing a was a more pleasant person to be around too!

Friend, when you think about yourself today, are you thinking positive, uplifting thoughts? Is your heart filled with joy? How is your attitude? I hope you are the most positive person around. But if you find you aren’t, I pray the above scriptures help. And, if you have something that helps you stay positive, I’d love to read about it below.

I’m cheering us on in our faith today, as we keep a positive, uplifted perspective. We’ll talk more about this tomorrow.

Blessings to you!

Julie

 

 

It’s a treat to link up with Holly for #TestimonyTuesday, and Kelly and Katie for #RaRaLinkup.