Enjoy the Day! - Pt 7

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. (2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ESV).

We come to the end of our little series to develop a life of joy. It concerns the principle of self-value. If you wouldn’t say it about another person, then you shouldn’t think it about yourself. Would you ever tell a person you love that they are a stupid, fat, ugly loser who can’t do anything right? Of course you wouldn’t, because it would be an inconsiderate and nasty thing to do. Despite how mean it would be to say things like this to another person, we often say them to ourselves. Personal growth and transformation cannot happen from a place of self-hate; joy happens when you can love and accept yourself as you are, even the flawed or messy parts. The truth is “it’s not all about you.” We cannot become ensnared by the trap in assuming everything is about us. Just because a person doesn’t want to hang out with you, doesn’t mean they don’t like you; it probably just means they are exhausted from dealing with people all day and need some time to re-charge. Just because a person doesn’t answer a text, doesn’t mean they are ignoring you; maybe they’re busy with their kids, at work, a creative project or one of the million things that are more important than answering texts as they come in. Just because a person doesn’t go on a date with you, doesn’t mean you are unattractive, unappealing or doomed to be alone; you’re just not a good match, and you’re fortunate the other person was honest enough to not lead you on. There are many ways to help you build self-esteem along your journey to being your true self. Here are two of my favorite daily tools for loving myself like God loves me: First, keep a journal every day. Write down your experiences, how you felt about them and whether you felt you dealt with it in way that aligned with your inner voice. The more you write down and notice when you’re doing what’s best for you, the more you get close to expressing your true being more often. Second, meditate each day. There is no better way than to relax, breathe and rest your thoughts. This is a great time to practice affirmations and reflect on what you want for your life. Now… go dance in the rain! Joy is yours by divine right!