Fluctuating Perspectives

It’s funny that I wrote about people problems right before #wcw. You know, Woman Crush Wednesday, the day that I write about the women who have had the most impact on my life, particularly my fitness journey. I have been blessed to be supported by an incredible group of people who love me when I’m up and when I’m down. They see my flaws and still love me unconditionally. Yet yesterday I let a few naysayers bring me down and thus the blog I wrote yesterday. It happens. It’s called fluctuating perspectives. One day a gray sky can indicate that the rain has stopped, but if it lingers that same gray sky can indicate another sunless day. It’s all in how you look at it. A few days ago I was sharing with a friend how grateful I was to be physically fit, but the conversation actually started when we were talking about money. When we were talking about living on a tight budget, I looked at her and started moving all of my limbs and said that being able to move on my own was a bigger blessing than anything I could have in my bank account. Not two days later I was back to complaining about living on a tight budget and what I didn’t have. I was out shopping (shocker!), and I noted by old shoes, old coat, and old purse. I started mentally looking at a calendar and realized I hadn’t really bought anything new for myself in at least two or three years. So the same person who was happy a couple of days ago jumped right back into complaining about money. Do you see where this is going? Perspectives and mindsets are powerful. Each day we wake up with options to love life or to bemoan where we are in life. I didn’t realize how much I vacillated until I was driving under a dark, stormy sky and was praying for God’s protection even though I had just complained hours ago. I don’t know about you, but I’m guilty of making those “bargaining with God” prayers. Lord, if You get me home safely, I’ll never complain again. And then I complain. Lord, if You lift this depression off of me, I will begin to see life differently. And then I go down the rabbit hole of negative thoughts and then wonder how and why I’m buried under negativity. Is anyone else struggling with this? Yet another one where I have no answers other than now that I’m aware of how much I vacillate between praise and negative thinking I can prayerfully work towards a new mindset. Here’s a good place to start. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)