I found myself feeling a little lost. My days were just stressful, busy and non-stop. I was complaining more than usual and found myself talking badly and was talking about things that I know I am better off letting go of. Then I remembered how I would feel after church or listening to Joel Osteen on the TV. When Joel talks you are immediately drawn to what he will preach for the next half an hour. My favorite thing of what he does every sermon is start off with something funny. This even pulls you in more to what he is going to say next. I decided I wanted to be a better version of myself, so I decided to "Wake up with Joel," and listen to a sermon every morning while I got ready to take on the day. How I used to get up in the morning was get up the energy to turn off my alarm and go through Facebook and Snapchat. I didn't want to do this anymore. So when I got up, I found one of Joel's sermons on Youtube and got ready without opening any other app.
Day 1: Empty Out the Negative.
Do not hold on to grudges. This one I found myself relating to. On one hand I forgive people because everyone deserves a second chance, but I have a hard time forgetting what it was I am holding a grudge for. Joel said the more room you have for the negative the less you have for your faith. This taught me that I need to create more room for my faith and empty out all the negativity in me. I have had bad experience in relationships, friendships and in school. After hearing this, yes there were things made me feel sad, but I can't let them continuously make me feel sad. I also knew that I have amazing things in my life and way more positive experiences than bad. This changed my day by learning to not let the negativity get to me for too long.
Day 2: Make Miracles Out of Mistakes
If you get off the path that God created for you, He will "reroute" to the right path like a GPS. I feel like I make mistakes a lot. Like I said in the beginning I feel lost sometimes. Even while driving I get lost while using a GPS, yet I have always ended up in the destination I was going towards. So this helped me realize even if I am lost, I know I I won't be lost forever. I know now that where I am is where I am suppose to be, but it is not my destination in life.
Day 3: Ease Is Coming
Life isn't easy all the time. There are struggles and things that can make you feel like that they are going to last forever, but they are not. There will be ease to all the struggles you face. I always feel that everything happens for a reason. That no matter what, with every struggle comes some clarity of its meaning.
Day 4: Sooner Than Expected
Say "Thank You" for what is already being sent your way. God has amazing plans for all of us. What we are asking for may be already it's way. There are many things that we pray for or want things to happen in our lives. God knows what is right for us and what would benefit us in the long run. Before you know it, what you prayed for may come to your sooner than you expected. I pray for a lot of things to come in my life and to help the ones in it, but this message was just assuring that what is needed in my life and what will happen in my life is what will be in my life.
Day 5: Live Life Happy
The type of people that live happy and full of faith can help those who struggle to see some happiness in their life. Life is ultimately too short for us to live life unhappy. If you don't live happy where you are in life, you will never live happy where you end up. Enjoy the life you live. I needed to hear this because I have found myself thinking that once I get a job, once I accept the school I want to go to, once I get better grades..I will be happier. That didn't exactly make my life happier, it just made somethings made me work harder and also made me disappointed because I wasn't happier than I was. When I started enjoying everyday and embracing all it offered then I was happier.
Day 6: Don't Rely On People
Yes, this has a confusing title. It's meaning is that you shouldn't rely on people to give you compliments. You'll start relying on others to make you love yourself and be happy. You have God for that. You also have yourself for that, too. It is hard to love the person you are sometimes; you make mistakes and fail, but you can start again and get back up. I found myself in this position before, as well. I wanted to be reminded that someone loved me to remind me of my worth, soon I realized I wasn't as happy with myself as I should of been. I quickly changed that and look at myself who was worth was enough and was beautiful and funny. In doing this I became happier with who I was.
Day 7: Your Words Become Your Reality
"Don't talk at the mountain, talk to the mountain." In this example, the mountain is the struggles you are facing. The more you say something is impossible, the more it will be impossible and you will never accomplish it. The more you say that you are ugly, unattractive and over weight is something that you may turn out to be. So, change your way, say that those struggles are possible. It may take some hard work, but you will accomplish them. Say that you are beautiful, yes you too men, just the way you are. Everyone has something to offer the world.
So after a week, my outlook on life changed. I am more cautious on what I deal with. What I let myself worry about and what I keep to push me to my best self. I feel a slight change in seeing happiness in myself. I continue to listen to Joel in the mornings just because I want to see the more positive impacts it will have on me.
