Find the Gold

Did you ever feel you’re in a streak where everything seems to be going wrong? You get up in the morning with a sense of dread because you need to follow-up on the craziness from the day before. You approach your day with a glass-half-empty perspective. We can’t or won’t shake this feeling. Why? It’s self-protective and gives us a sense of control.

But..is this helpful to us? The answer, of course, is no. The focus on the negative, controlling events and people, can actually make us feel more anxious. It can also make us less appealing to be around. Maybe we’re a downer or a drain to be around because our brains go immediately to the negative things that might happen.

How do we break out of this mindset? Here is a concrete suggestion that works wonders for me and many others. Keep a gratitude journal. Write in it the first thing in the morning while you’re having your coffee and reading the paper. Even on your absolute worst days ever, if you really stop and think about some good things in your life, I guarantee you can come up with at least one.

Surprisingly, after writing down one, you think of another. For example, how about that great cup of coffee your having? If life stinks at the moment, write that cup of coffee down. Do you have your health? You’re still alive. Thank God for that. Make it basic. You will be surprised at the number of good things, the gold, you find in each day.

These nuggets of gold are the treasures that God places in each of our lives every single day. It’s important that you look for the treasures. If you adopt this mindset, you will transform your own perception of the every event in your life. Find the gold today. When you do, praise God He enabled you to see it.

Philippians 4:8 “…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything praiseworthy-think about such things.”