Being negative is a bad habit

Think positive is something one learns and is not something that comes naturally. Looking on the bright side of issues takes practice but it pays off in many ways. Rather than first deciding what is wrong with your something, first find out what's right about it. That will put you in a better frame of mind and will allow for positive improvements. In everyday talk this is seen as the glass being half empty or half full.

This half empty or half full approach to life opens up avenues of thought that lead on to more positive thinking or, in the case of negativity, more blockage of good ideas. If, as an example, we see the glass as half full, all we can think of is how long will it take before it will be empty. Translate that negative reaction into everyday experiences and, as an example, you have these dark and gloomy questions: How much longer do I have to live, how can I make this small paycheck last until the next payday and how can I convince others I am right?

Looking at the same idea with a positive outlook will bring about not how much time I have to live, but what I am to do with this moment, this minute, this hour and let the time take care of itself. Too, instead of fretting over low wages, think positively and find creative ways of making the money last longer, creative ways of earning, and thankfulness for even having a job.

Trying to convince others you're right isn't a problem if you don't allow it to be. Convince yourself that you're right and let the chips fall the chips fall where thet fall. But too, being positive, isn't being hard headed. If you're wrong, be positive and say so and find out what the real truth is.

Healthy eating habits

How we think about food says a lot about our attitude toward food in general. Do we view as the necessity for physical and mental health, as it surely is, or do we relate it to likes and dislikes? Taste and food preferences is important but it does not override the reason food is eaten. Food is a life preserver; a promoter of healthy life styles; a winner in the fight for longevity; an exciting adventure to be. If is not the reason to live thinking that's puts food at the top of our daily things to do, it is living because of food that counts.

In other words, don't live to eat, but eat to live is an old adage that makes sense out of how we think of food. In 2010, The FDA renamed its pyramid food program to My Plate. Presumably they did this to make it your plate and not theirs, and yes, possibly they wanted to be seen as less regimental. They answer questions such as: How do I learn about food groups; information about any particular food; will help you create a personal eating plan; teach you healthy eating habits,how to lose weight, help you plan your menus; they will analyze your diet and tell you where it fails and where it is right.

The image:
It's mine. Another oldie that somehow managed to escape the trash pile. I bought the over-sized table from a junk shop and was proud of it although it took up more room in my small kitchen I could afford to utilize. Wanting to smear a little paint around one day, found nothing else to paint but one corner of this table. Although I lived alone, Fruit bowls with real fruit were a big part of my decorating scheme.

What happened to the table? It disappeared in the move from there to here and I suspect the movers decided I had no room for it in my new place. Hopefully some happy family is now eating their veggies and fruits and healthy food off it. I refrain from mentioning the name of the movers since I love them as much as they love me but their last initial starts with an S. Eat well everyone, it will make a difference in your life.

Control your expectations

Expectations can get you in trouble if they aren't revised from time to time. Remember when you were a child and you expected everything to be perfect when you grew up and away from parents that controlled your every moment,or seemed to. Compare that to being grown up and to knowing that none of the childhood expectations came true, and rightly so.

The point I'm trying to make is that expectations must be whittled down to fit the age of the person. If this were not so, the world would be in a poorer shape than it is now in. And they must be realistic. No longer can we did as children make wishes. We accept the good things that are naturally in front of our eyes if we would only open them and take a good look.

What is a reasonable expectation for a college student? That they will by studying hard, attending all the classes, watching their finances, being kind to old folks and helping them cross the street if necessary, listening to their professor's instructions, calling home at regular intervals to tell the old folks they love them and not to just ask for money,graduate and will in due time find a job.

Older people don't expect much, but when any goodness comes their way, they are most often the happiest people on earth. Why? Because they've learned the secret of life, accepting rather than expecting. It works every time. They look around and see the goodness all around and are amazed at what they've done during their lifetime. They couldn't have planned it that well.
They've discovered what they have is exactly what they want. There are exceptions of course, there is heartache, sadness, but they accept that too. It is God's world and they are happy that he is in charge.

Prayerful Listening

The title today concerns how to listen to directions from God instead of always petitioning him for your wants. And I admit the idea came to me from another source other than prayer. On Sunday, July 17 I was reading the meditations from The Word Among Us on page 58 of the meditations for July and August 2011.

On this day their meditations came from Romans 8:26 , The spirit helps us in our weakness. Their introductory sentence takes up the way most people pray, petitioning God for something or other. And as they say, that's okay too, since He wants us to be happy,"But there's another form of prayer that is just as valuable and just as necessary to our spiritual lives: the prayer that listens for God's wisdom and revelation."

When I read that I got that that aha feeling. In a somewhat different way that's what I've been thinking and doing for a long time. I'd simply never thought to give words to the notion that sometimes it's always best to let Him have it His way. In other words when our day isn't panning out as we'd planned instead of praying that the particular mood of the situation that is 'letting us down' will turn in our favor, we accept it and allow it and go on from there.

And often, on down the road, we'll see how that particular point in time coincides with something greater, and more appropriate in our lives. Had we not stood still and quietly listened and offered whatever discomfort and annoyance we endured for Him to put it toward His purpose rather than our own, we would have missed far greater opportunities.

My awareness of not always wanting my own way was not born out of quiet solitude, however. And in fact, in one way or another it's always been with me since in my life there were scarcely any options other than those that presented themselves. What I did not do, however, was talk about my inner most feelings. Not being a particularly outwardly religious person in that I seldom joined in on heated discussions about this or that, but deep down I knew where I stood.

My frustrations ran deep when people blamed God for everything to crop failure to a rain ruining their picnic. Let's pray for no rain on Sunday so we can get together and have a jolly old time, and other such unworthy prayers always left me thinking, don't they understand it rains where it rains and why waste His time with such petitions;He runs the world His way and the best we can do is listen to that small still voice inside us to see how best we can help.

The older I got, the more I listened. But in all that time I never ran into an exact sentence that spelled out listening as a form of prayer. Of course everyone is supposed to know that is the general assumption. But sometimes, as the author of that particular meditation knew, it needs be said. Far too many aren't listening.

How does this fit into mental health? In every way possible. Instead of getting all tangled into chaos when our plans go awry, lets be more acceptable to His way. What this does is open the door to pathways of thinking hitherto unknown. Inspirations and opportunities await those who are brave enough to throw open their hearts, ears, eyes to Him.

An example to illustrate what I mean: I love to write. I've always written. A few years ago, however, I was tired and I quit. I vividly remember telling Him, I quit, if you want me to write again,I will, but it will have to be your way. For five years now, my writing has taken on new meanings to me. Yet, I've never forgotten that it all depends on Him.

When I come to those time when I have to decide whether I will write what I know the editors want to hear or what will further my standing with them or what I know He wants me to say, He wins.

Of course I have no assurance I am right, but when I do and say, even in my ignorance, what I believe is best, I am sure He understands and makes allowances. It creates fewer problems later on.

Excessive Criticism can be controlled

We all know people who never seem satisfied with others.Their every action is open to the whims of the person who sees what's wrong with the rest of the world but never admits their part.

The truth is, none of us are perfect. One way of dealing with the annoyances of others and their failings is to recognize that ours are as big in their eyes and it may be they are kinder and care more for our feelings than they do for having others see things their way.

To go through life nit picking and looking for flaws in others is surely to increase our own. That is so because the time we're looking at our neighbors in a critical way, is time wasted in working on our own flaws and trying to improve on ourselves.

We are the only person we will truly ever know, but if we don't make the effort 'to see ourselves as others see us' (Robert Burns)and to come to terms with it, then how can we walk on in this world toward a better one?

Of course it hurts to admit the truth sometimes, but once we've forced ourselves to do it, then we are able to attempt ways of improving on our faults. The first step, however, is in seeing ourselves as flawed as the person we criticize, or that is criticizing us, and letting it go no further than it need go.

Love yourself enough to see yourself in every person you meet. For better or for worse.

The healing power of love

The healing power of power of love is potentially a never emptying cup of goodness bequeathed to us from our Creator. And yet, this greatest of all emotions is so tainted with wrong use today, it is hardly recognizable.

How can it be retrieved? First of all we must know what it means in its entirety? We must know how to recognize it within ourselves and to allow it to guide us to our better selves. And most important of all, we must know what it is not, and to know to turn around and not get splashed with its power to rob us of our sense of self.

What exactly am I talking about in the above paragraph. Sex is biological, love too has it biological seat within our brain but it is where real love resides. The more we examine our capacity to love even when there is no obvious reason we should -- as society dictates -- the stronger will be our resolve to love and not hate.

Hate blinds us to everything except the object that we blame for all our problems. Mental health dictates that we first overcome our hatred of others, and if we don't yet have the capacity to love those that despise us and wish us harm, we can at least learn to tolerate them.

The image? I scribbled this on a sheet of paper one day, for I know not why not, but searching through my collection for an illustration, the thought that love has the power to conquer darkness. No matter how depressed or hopeless the situation that surround us appears to be, love can break through that. In other words, no matter how dark the night, dawn follows with it hope for a brighter day.