When my children were small, they loved A.A. Milne's books about Winnie-the-Pooh. They especially loved Tigger for his bounciness. I love Tigger's attitude—that life is fun and things will turn out for the best. He's the original cartoon positive thinker.
These days, many of us tend to think like Tigger's nemesis, Eeyore, who started almost every sentence with "oh, no."
We're living in times more financially difficult than anyone under the age of 70 or so can probably remember. It seems every week we hear about another company going out of business or laying off thousands of workers. My church has had layoffs as well which has been difficult, to say the least. Upwards of 25 percent of U.S. homeowners are "upside down" on their mortgages, meaning they owe more than the house is worth. Our lives feel uncertain. Anxiety has become normal.
Ordinarily I'm an optimist. I see the glass half or even three-quarters full. Of course, I married a guy who sees it half or maybe three quarters empty. It's Tigger and Eeyore living together.
Perhaps you're feeling like Eeyore these days, even if you're normally more positive. You're worried and upset. Or someone you love is.
I can't deny that the economy is suffering or that people are facing enormous challenges. Our family has taken a financial hit just like others. Our kids' college fund is worth about half what it was a year ago and our daughter is just three and a half years from starting college. My realtor husband was virtually unemployed for several months.
And yet we have so much to be thankful for. Even in the struggles, God is there. You cannot change your circumstances but you can change the way you think about them. If there was ever a time when we need to think positively, this is it. Gloom and despair get us nowhere. When we focus on the obstacles in our way, we lose heart. We get stuck.
I love what Paul says to the church at Corinth: "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." (2 Corinthians 4:8, 9)
In other words, Paul seems to be saying, we will survive. It could be worse. Our faith is not contingent upon our circumstances. We struggle, but we're still here fighting. And a few verses later, he notes, "Therefore we do not lose heart."
Despite the troubled times, I'm still an optimist. I choose to be. I affirm my faith by praying even when hope seems faint. I think this choice helps me weather these tough times. Rather than retreat in the face of difficulties we can choose to have faith and act on it.
How are you feeling these days? Perplexed? Hard pressed? Don't lose heart. Instead, nurture your heart. How? Begin by noticing the blessings that abound in your life and thanking God for them. Do what you can instead of focusing on what you can't. It's never true when we cry "there's nothing I can do!" because we can always pray and that's quite a lot. We can choose joy, choose gratitude, and that's more than enough. Joy isn't something that depends on our situation. Rather it depends on our attitude.
It may feel silly, but for the next week find three things to be grateful for every day. When you do the laundry, be grateful for hot running water. When you walk to the mailbox to get all those bills, thank God you can walk. If you can't walk, be glad you can breathe. I'm sure most of you can do more than just breathe, but if it's all you can do, do it with a grateful heart.
This evening after dinner I sat in the living room reading. My daughter read on the couch. She sipped hot chocolate, I drank herbal tea. The dog lay on the floor. Our home was peaceful. In the quiet, I thought—thank you, God. I just appreciated that moment. It brought me joy in a quiet, simple way.
If gratitude is too much for you, start with something simpler: just listen to yourself. Are the comments you make on life mostly negative or positive? Not sure? Ask your spouse or an honest friend. Life has its disappointments of course. Do we dwell on those or focus on what's good?
The recession is the result of a myriad of complex factors. In such times, analysts talk a lot about "consumer confidence" or lack thereof. Before people will actually spend money, they have to have confidence that things will be alright. In other words, their perception of how things are affects how things actually are.
I think the same is true for all of us. The first step to changing our circumstances is changing our thinking.
God is with you in these difficult times. Believing this is the first step to getting through whatever you face. The second step is thanking him—for his loving presence, for the many small blessings in your life. Two simple steps, faith and gratitude, will move us toward positive thinking and positive actions.
Keri Wyatt Kent is the author of seven books, including Rest: Living in Sabbath Simplicity. This article originally appeared in her monthly newsletter. Learn more at www.keriwyattkent.com.
