Have you ever wished someone would come into your life and cheer you up - but nobody came?
Today I was sliding down the spiral shute into the pit because a friend had shared her angry with me. I began to take it personally.
It's hard to admit, yet most of us think our happiness and contentment depends on someone else. Do you suppose it's because as a baby we looked to Mama for cues and for cooing the smiles to our faces? Maybe we just have never outgrown that sub-conscious understanding that it is up to others to cheer us up when in a sad mood.
I've got news for you; if you are old enough to read this, you're old enough to cheer yourself up.
I'm not talking about the severe depression that comes from trauma and chemical imbalance in your endocrine system here. I'm referring to the petty moods we get from external factors in mild depression. Dark, cloudy, brooding weather is a trigger for some. A cluttered home or office will subtly drag down another's spirit. Sometimes we have blue moods because of bittersweet memories, the misery in the world, in our own lives, or just an ugly sense that we're not accomplishing much. In fact, at times we pick up a sadness from others or vicariously from a novel or what we watch on TV. These are all external factors.
Smile! Give glory to God, because it is in your power to do something about each of these. You can do things to counter-act each of these influences, and if they are really nothing but external factors, you CAN cheer your self up!
Is it the stormy, un-sunny weather?
Then turn on the lights! Put brighter watt bulbs in all your light sockets. Wear cheerful colours in your clothes. Put light, pastel shades of colour wherever you have a say or influence in your home or office.
You can also resolve to stop whining about bad weather. Explain to yourself, that storms are temporary, and the moisture that usually comes with them is going to make the flowers bloom. (Try applying that spiritually too).
Is your house or desk a mess?
Guess who has permission to clean it up? You! {grin} This prescription isn't going to cost you anything but some time. Set aside time to clear things away from one side of the desk to the other, or from the bathrooms to the front door, and clean up, put away, file, or throw out the stuff lying everywhere. Take a wet rag with you, and wipe things down as you clear the stuff off. Arrange neatly the things that have to remain handy, or that are tastefully ornamental.
When you get tired, sit back and survey your kingdom. Check your invisible cheer meter and see if it hasn't gone up several degrees. Mine always does!
Been reading or watching sad news stories?
I too, have a sensitive spirit, and quickly take on the mood or attitude of others when I absorb their lives and sadness. But listen, we can change our mood just as quickly by playing cheerful, happy music or reading positive good news material.
Are you dissatisfied with your life?
Sensitive or not, we do have power to choose our moods and attitudes, (assuming our depression is only from external factors). Let's take charge of our heart, instead of letting it run all over us. Remember, we can always make new choices, if we've made bad ones in the past.
Best of all, we can go to God with our messed up life, confess we've failed and ask forgiveness and help to start over. We don't have to rely completely on our own strength - because the truth is, sometimes we don't have any, either physical or spiritual. He WILL help us, but God likes to teach us how to do a lot of things by our own good choices.
Feeling weepy?
Remind yourself that this is probably temporary, but consider whether you need to seek out a friend to talk to, or perhaps you just need to get out in the sunshine or under a bright light, play soothing music, and have a little talk with the Lord. Don't just recite all the things that bother you, but put on "the garment of praise" and see how many things you can gratefully thank God for. See? You are cheering yourself up!
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
Ruth Marlene Friesen makes friends wherever she goes!
Her friends become her rare roses at Ruthes-SecretRoses.com
Order the softcover edition at Booklocker.com
And- Subscribe to her weekly ezine RoseBouquet
To follow and get to know Ruth better!
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
[Article may be reprinted only with this resource box].
Back Inspirational Articles (index)
Ruth Marlene Friesen
The Responsible One
Privacy Promises ~~
Sitemap
Ruthe's Secret Roses (official site)
©2001-2022 Ruth Marlene Friesen
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada