Discouragement...Why bother

Discouragement….

Its grip is so strong.  Its power to stay wrapped round your heart simply amazes me sometimes.  We get knocked down over and over again and, try as we may, sometimes discouragement simply wins out.

That’s when we grab the remote, a bag of Golden Double Stuff Oreos, cup of milk and just dunk away, ignoring the pain that seems to haunt us.

Trouble is…when the cookies are nothing more than crumbs, the milk all gone and the shows that we normally love don’t even interest us anymore, discouragement is still there.

Never underestimate the power of discouragement.  It happens to all of us.

YES – US!

Even Me….a happy little joy spreader.

How do you fight it? How do you get out of the death grip it has on you?  How do you over come?

You fight it with giving, choosing to see the beauty in the ordinary and pure determination. 

I know, you are already thinking “Marie…I’m not a half glass full kind of person.”

My response to that is you can be. 

You can take action and start focusing on the positive around you, the amazing blessings that fill your world and the great things that bring a smile to your heart each and every day.   

People are typically discouraged when they “feel” like things aren’t going the way they should be or the outcome is not what they desired.  Discouragement comes when feelings creep in and then stand up and shout “look at me, focus on me” even though those feelings are usually not true.

It’s easier to feel the negative things, like:

• We don’t matter
• They don’t care
• It’s not the truth
• They always lie to me
• What does “it” matter anyway
• Who cares
• Why Bother

Etc etc  etc

We should be focusing on the facts, not our emotional feelings that change with the tide.

Fact is YOU DO matter.  You always have and you always will.  YOU are someone’s entire world.

Fact is THEIR opinions are just that…opinions, and you will likely NOT change their mind, so move on.

Fact is the choice is YOURS and you have the choice to ignore the negative things you “think” others think about you.

Fact is Negative is easier to see and feel but being POSITIVE is a much greater force than you realize.

Fact is, we will always face discouragement, but we don’t have to “stay” and dwell with it forever.  

Face it, stand up to it and then move on right past it.

Here are a few things to help move past the discouragement that grips your heart:

• Surround yourself with positive people
• Surround yourself with the things you love. (inspirational quotes, pictures, uplifting music)
• Keep your spiritual life in check by staying schooched up close to the Lord. Daily Walk With Him.
• Give yourself permission to feel discouraged and recharge
• Move past it with confidence by remembering that sometimes failure is just a detour to where you are going
• Remember Failure isn’t final – you have the final say.
• YOU MATTER – remember this!
• Focus on the facts, NOT feelings
• Don’t focus on the fear, focus on The Father

How do you face discouragement?

What are some things you do to help get yourself beyond this?

If you’ve written an article on this, please feel free to share a link as well as some words of encouragement below, so that our readers can easily find you.

Thank you for your efforts in Spreading JOY and making a difference!