It’s Monday and Mondays are always a good time to renew our promises to ourselves and maybe set some new goals for the week. Even when things haven’t gone the way we would have hoped in the previous week, we can’t let that stand in the way of improvement.
Today I want to talk a little bit about change. For one, it is about the only constant that we can count on in our lives. Situations that are beyond our control can change everything in moment. Our bodies are constantly in a state of change. Jobs change, relationships change, and the weather changes. Some things, like the weather change on a daily basis. And other things like our moods for example take more time.
We are well into the Fall/Winter season and so many that suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder) are probably having some pretty rough days. As the days become shorter and more cold, our moods can become darker and more cold as well.
I was talking to my husband about how MY mood is doing this time around for the Fall/Winter season. It is probably the first time in a very long time that I am still doing well at this time of year. Of course we are only about a quarter of the way into the changing of the seasons. 🙂
Some of the reasons for this are very traceable. I have done a lot of work on my mental health over the past 4 years. It certainly has not been easy and it has not been quick. It has however, been extremely worth the effort. I am much more balanced than I have been in past years as far as the 10 habits that I talked about here and here.
But I think even more than that, I have finally come to a sort of acceptance of what bipolar IS to me and what it IS NOT. (And this goes for other illnesses and disorders as well). It IS something that I HAVE. It is NOT something that I AM. It does not define me, or who I am as a person. There is so much more to me than being sick. It IS something that changes me mentally. It IS NOT something that I have no control over. I DO have a choice. There was a time that I believed that I didn’t have choice. That this is just my cross to bear and I have no say in it.
But that’s only partially true. It is something that I have to bear, but there is A LOT that I can do to change, not only how I view it, but also how I live with it, as illustrated in the links above that I mentioned. But the first and most important step, is to stop being “stuck” make a choice of where you want to be and then take a step in that direction. It doesn’t have to be a gigantic decision. But DO something to move you forward!
I believe one of the most significant changes that I have made in the past few years that has made an incredible difference is that I have learned that there is only one person that I can turn to in my times of greatest need. And that is my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is the healer, He has transformed me in a way that I never could have managed on my own. But that didn’t just happen either. It has taken a lot of work and continues to be an ongoing process. But I had to make the choice that I was going to TURN (action) toward the Lord. That I was going to ASK (action) for help. In the Bible it says:
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)
ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK are all action words. We can not just expect things to happen for us. It is something that we have to work toward. And it is an ongoing work that changes every day. But it is one that we do not have to do on our own. We will always have the Lord there to support us and cheer us on. He wants us to be successful and happy and feel loved. He wants us to know that we are worth it! And He is just waiting for us to ask.
So today, ponder the word change which means to make or become different, transform. Then decide to make the choice that you want your life to be different… better!
XO Wendy
Pointing Toward Hope 