A GREAT EMAIL THAT I HAD TO SHARE...A LITTLE LONG
Print it out and read it when you have some time. ![]()
Don't be a Garbage Collector!
by Carolyn Savelle
'Your feet are funny looking!' 'What did you do to your hair?' 'Your ears
are huge!' Have you ever noticed how quickly you forget a compliment and
how long you remember an insult?
Did you know that it takes four praises for every insult to restore
self-esteem? Most people remember compliments for a few minutes and insults
for years. Many people get down on themselves and accept failure and defeat
because of the negative things they've been told. Then, they eventually
open the door to unhappiness in their lives.
It is not what happens to us in life that determines our happiness so much
as the way we react to what happens! We are in control of our own happiness
as we decide what thoughts we think. No one else puts thoughts in your mind
but you. To be happy, you need to concentrate on happy thoughts. How often
though, do we ignore those compliments that are paid to us, yet we dwell on
unkind words for weeks afterwards?
If you allow a bad experience or nasty remark to occupy your mind, you will
suffer the consequence - your joy will be taken from you. When you do this,
you become a garbage collector carrying around trash!
Joy is one of the nine fruits of the spirit but many people never tap into
it. Joy comes into you at the new birth when you ask Jesus to be your Lord
and Savior. Luke 2:10 says, 'Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good
tidings of great JOY, which shall be to all people.' That includes you!
People are about as joyful as they make up their minds to be. I remember at
age twenty-five waking up one day and deciding that I had had enough of
being miserable and moody. I thought to myself, 'If you are going to be a
really joyful (happy) person someday, why don't you start now?'
That day I decided to be a whole lot happier than I had ever been before. I
was stunned - it actually worked! Being joyful can be hard work sometimes.
It's like maintaining a nice home. You've got to hang on to your treasures
and throw out the garbage! Being joyful requires looking for good things.
One person sees a beautiful view and the other sees the dirty window.
Happiness is a decision.
Many people live life as if someday they'll arrive at 'happiness' like one
arrives at a bus stop. They figure that someday everything will fall into
place, or they will take a deep breath and say, 'Here I am at last...happy
and joyful.'
Their life story is one of, 'I'll be happy when...' 'I'll be happy when the
kids are grown and gone.' 'I'll be happy when I have that new car.' 'I'll
be happy when we have money in a savings account.' 'I'll be happy when I
get that promotion.' 'I'll be happy I when I find the right spouse or
mate.'
You are only kidding yourself. None of those things will truly make you
happy. Happiness and joy only come from one place - the source of joy.
Psalm 16:11 (AMP) says, 'You will show me the path of life; in your
presence is fullness of joy, at your right hand there are pleasures for
ever more.'
I will give you the secret of joy and happiness. Stay in the presence of
God through prayer and fellowship. Jesus told us what His will was for us
in John 15:10-11 (AMP): 'If you keep my commandments - if you continue to
obey My instructions - you will abide in My love and live on in it; just as
I have obeyed My Fathers commandments and live on in His love. I have told
you these things that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy
and gladness may be full measure and complete and overflowing!'
Don't be a garbage collector anymore. Stay in the presence of the Lord and
dwell on good thoughts. There you have it! That's the solution to staying
full of joy no matter what you're going through!
Don't be a Garbage Collector!
by Carolyn Savelle
'Your feet are funny looking!' 'What did you do to your hair?' 'Your ears
are huge!' Have you ever noticed how quickly you forget a compliment and
how long you remember an insult?
Did you know that it takes four praises for every insult to restore
self-esteem? Most people remember compliments for a few minutes and insults
for years. Many people get down on themselves and accept failure and defeat
because of the negative things they've been told. Then, they eventually
open the door to unhappiness in their lives.
It is not what happens to us in life that determines our happiness so much
as the way we react to what happens! We are in control of our own happiness
as we decide what thoughts we think. No one else puts thoughts in your mind
but you. To be happy, you need to concentrate on happy thoughts. How often
though, do we ignore those compliments that are paid to us, yet we dwell on
unkind words for weeks afterwards?
If you allow a bad experience or nasty remark to occupy your mind, you will
suffer the consequence - your joy will be taken from you. When you do this,
you become a garbage collector carrying around trash!
Joy is one of the nine fruits of the spirit but many people never tap into
it. Joy comes into you at the new birth when you ask Jesus to be your Lord
and Savior. Luke 2:10 says, 'Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good
tidings of great JOY, which shall be to all people.' That includes you!
People are about as joyful as they make up their minds to be. I remember at
age twenty-five waking up one day and deciding that I had had enough of
being miserable and moody. I thought to myself, 'If you are going to be a
really joyful (happy) person someday, why don't you start now?'
That day I decided to be a whole lot happier than I had ever been before. I
was stunned - it actually worked! Being joyful can be hard work sometimes.
It's like maintaining a nice home. You've got to hang on to your treasures
and throw out the garbage! Being joyful requires looking for good things.
One person sees a beautiful view and the other sees the dirty window.
Happiness is a decision.
Many people live life as if someday they'll arrive at 'happiness' like one
arrives at a bus stop. They figure that someday everything will fall into
place, or they will take a deep breath and say, 'Here I am at last...happy
and joyful.'
Their life story is one of, 'I'll be happy when...' 'I'll be happy when the
kids are grown and gone.' 'I'll be happy when I have that new car.' 'I'll
be happy when we have money in a savings account.' 'I'll be happy when I
get that promotion.' 'I'll be happy I when I find the right spouse or
mate.'
You are only kidding yourself. None of those things will truly make you
happy. Happiness and joy only come from one place - the source of joy.
Psalm 16:11 (AMP) says, 'You will show me the path of life; in your
presence is fullness of joy, at your right hand there are pleasures for
ever more.'
I will give you the secret of joy and happiness. Stay in the presence of
God through prayer and fellowship. Jesus told us what His will was for us
in John 15:10-11 (AMP): 'If you keep my commandments - if you continue to
obey My instructions - you will abide in My love and live on in it; just as
I have obeyed My Fathers commandments and live on in His love. I have told
you these things that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy
and gladness may be full measure and complete and overflowing!'
Don't be a garbage collector anymore. Stay in the presence of the Lord and
dwell on good thoughts. There you have it! That's the solution to staying
full of joy no matter what you're going through!
