Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.—Philippians 4:8
Ever heard of the saying "You are what you eat?" Well, the same is true with our thoughts; we become what we think. It’s the power of positive thinking. Fixing our thoughts on the positive allows our outlook to be positive, even if we are surrounded by negativity. Paul is trying to show us that we can rise above behaviors we detest. It all starts with thoughts, which lead to actions, and eventually become habits.
If we let the negativity int his world, especially the negativity that is often aimed at the LGBTQ+ community, then we will become consumed by it. We can’t let other’s negative attitudes bring us down. If we stay positive then the negative naysayers cannot have a hold on us. We have to live by example and that means having an attitude that is positive and encouraging.
The easiest thing we can do is to smile at another person. I know it’s not always easy to smile, but we can still try to make an effort. Smiles and positivity can be contagious, and in the present, we need something that contagious that is positive. Too much suffering is occurring because of hate, fear, and negativity. The best thing we can do is to live and lead by example.
I was feeling anxious and depressed in 2020 (I'm sure many were) and I ended up seeking counseling to help me. My therapist suggested something called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) which at it's core is what you were sharing in this post about gaining better control of our thoughts and analyzing why we think what we think. I found it very helpful.
ReplyDeleteMore about it here:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cognitive-behavioral-therapy/about/pac-20384610