Wanna Hear A Secret?

    Wanna hear a secret? People think I'm ALWAYS happy. If you know me, you probably think this doesn't sound much like a secret. You may even be one of the many people who have asked why I'm always smiling, why I'm always so excited about everything. Now most of the time when people ask me these questions, I just shrug and laugh, true to my "bubbly" personality. Then I explain that I'm not always happy, that sometimes I have days when I'm not happy at all, and I can tell that most of the time you don't believe me. "If you're not always happy, then why are you always in such a good mood?" you may be wondering. Or maybe, "Didn't I just see you humming and skipping down the hall?" Now normally, I can't completely explain my happiness in a way that makes sense. One side effect of this personality that God gave me is that--besides the fact that I talk  too fast for most people to comprehend--I can't always focus on expressing my deepest thoughts and feelings when I'm speaking to others. But here in this post, this outlet where I don't have to worry about getting distracted and losing my train of thought, I'm going to tell you everything I know about living with a positive mindset.


  
   Ok, so the first and most important thing to know is this: it is humanly impossible to be happy and positive at all times. That's right; no one can claim to always have everything together. As much as we hate to admit it, the sin and the stress of living in this broken world is going to get us down on a daily basis. We're going to be impatient, or irritated, or just downright angry with someone or something at least once a day, and chances are each one of us is going to be the thing that irritates someone else (just ask my twin sister how she feels about me sometimes!). That's because we humans have this instinct of self-entitlement that seems to rear its ugly head at the worst possible moments. Whether we realize it or not, deep down inside of us there's this little feeling that everyone owes us something, and when they don't deliver, we tend to think that it's all their fault. I honestly can't tell you how many times I've thought to myself, "This person ignoring me made me really mad," or, "These plans falling through has just ruined my day." Instead of trying to find the logical reason behind frustrating situations, I more often than not just decide to blame the first person or thing I can find. But I find that I am happiest when I strive to live with the attitude that no one owes me anything. That way, when someone does do something nice for me, I can be even more happy and pleasantly surprised.


   Before I go on, let me make it clear that as much as I try to convince myself not to be self-entitled, I often (as in multiple times a day) fall short of this goal. So my next tip will be something to do when you're already upset. (If you've read my last post, you know that I have experience in this field.) As a hormonal teenage girl, I have to say that if you ask me if I've cried on any given day, there's a 50/50 chance that the answer is yes. Lack of confidence, fear of the future, and just being a dramatic person in general pushes me to my breaking point more often than I'd like to admit. But I have a tried and true trick that always makes me feel better soon. It's really nothing ground-breaking, but I think it's something that a lot of us, myself included, tend to forget. If you're having a bad day, try to find a way to make someone else's day better. For instance, if you're doubting yourself, go out of your way to encourage a friend who is having similar feelings. The burst of happiness that comes with helping someone in need will at least temporarily chase your blues away.
 
   God gave us the ability to encourage each other so that we can build each other up and grow together in Him. Which brings me to my final point: the only way to find true happiness is to have the true joy found only in the love of Christ. James 1:2-3 says, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." This proves that when we have salvation, even the hard times in life are times of joy because God is strengthening us in our faith. And one day, He will bring us all Home to a place of eternal joy, where everyone will truly be "happy all the time." Can I get a "Hallelujah!"? We are children of the God who saves, and when we believe on Him we are secure in our future because nothing and no one can take away our joy! If you haven't already, ask Him into your heart right now, and you'll be given the priceless joy of the King of Kings. Go to Him, because the secret of everlasting joy is only His to share.