I’m not sure why, but even the most chipper person can have an off day for no apparent reason. Happiness is an elusive thing that occasionally plays peekaboo with us. When the clouds roll in and the doubts and fears appear, it actually makes me grumpier just knowing that I landed there, especially when I can’t put my finger on why I ran into a detour on the road to joy. It’s kind of like a flat tire on my mood- always a surprise and always a nuisance. 

httpv://youtu.be/bfmlcFvZEcY

My brother the photographer is exceptionally creative and highly perceptive. That’s why his photos are so intriguing. He sees things a little differently than others might and he finds a way to capture that in his images. He’s got a bit of the same jack rabbit brain that I have and lately he has become fascinated with time lapse photography. In this one that he shared with me, clouds zip across the heavens, occasionally blocking the sun. When shadows appear on my spirit, I need to think about how fleeting it is in reality and I must remind myself to stay in the place of knowing that “this too shall pass”.

I once heard a Jim Rohn quote I use a lot. “Learn how to turn frustration into fascination. You will learn more being fascinated by life than you will by being frustrated by it.”  (Jim was the first to tell you it doesn’t work 100% of the time but it’s always worth a try!)  When I focus on becoming fascinated by the shifts in my mood instead of frustrated by them, I find my way back into the sunshine a lot more quickly. We always have a choice. 

I went to sleep last night cranky and woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. I knew that I would not have a productive day and I certainly would not be a blessing to anyone if I did not shift gears quickly. When I stumbled out of bed, I prayed that I could focus on all the good things in my life and shake the crud from my outlook. Grabbing my devotional, l began to look for words to affirm that prayer and here is what I read:  “Meet me in the early morning splendor…..In the stillness of this holy time with Me, I renew your strength and saturate you with Peace.”

In the next couple of hours as I intentionally focused on everything good in my life, I got an uplifting email from a positive friend, read a couple of inspiring quotes from two of my cherished Facebook friends and had a delightful breakfast with a wonderful young woman I had not seen in years. The sunshine was there all along even behind the grey clouds. When we focus on gratitude we find joy.

I was reminded once again of my personal favorite verse, my morning mantra, Psalm 118:24 – “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” 

Read more from Betty on Her View From Home – here.