Don't let 'em get ya down!

Tonight I sit here and ask myself one question. "Am I a difficult person?" I feel like everyone can think of difficult individuals, whether it be at work, school, or in our own family. I can name several right off the bat, but tonight leaves me wondering if I am ever THAT person. Am I the one with the hard head and pessimistic attitude?

Think of the last time you were faced with a negative or difficult person. Recall the last time someone intentionally said something or did something to hurt you. How did you handle it? Did you get through it with peace and grace? What was the result?

Its inevitable. No matter where we go, we will face people who always oppose our ideas, people who piss us off, or those that we just can not stand to be around for fear that we will fall into deep depression and join their downward spiral of emotions. You know who I'm talking about...the Negative Nancies and Debbie Downers...the people who are often so bored and unhappy with their own lives that they want to take others (you) down with them. They create conflict. Now, conflict is just a fact of life, but it also triggers our emotions and drives us back to our survival instinct; react and attack.

Sure our instinct is make this person miserable, but as humans we are the only "animals" blessed with intelligence and self-control. The react and attack response is natural, so it takes more self-control to not let it bother us. Besides, reactions to someone who is negative will only trigger anger and additional reactions from that person. Think about the best way to deal with the situation. I came across this quote, "Where attention goes, energy flows." Again, as humans, we are blessed with intelligence, and we are able to focus on one thing at a time. What we focus on tends to expand itself within us. Energy spent on negativity is energy that could have been spent on our personal well-being.

I am no psychologist. I took three hours worth of psychology in college, so I am by no means an expert. I have had a lot of practice dealing with negativity, and it is actually something I find myself having to actively work on. The truth is this: we have emotions and egos. Try not to let them get out of hand. Eliminate those Debbie Downers in your life. Why let them continue to be an energy drain? Separate yourself. When you find yourself identifying with these kind of people, focus...or go for a run, swim, bike ride...clear your mind and release any built up emotions in a healthy manner.

Why?

Allow me to step on my soap box for this next read...

Everything happens for a reason. What is supposed to happen, will happen. If things do not go your way, it can be stressful, painful, and hard, but you do not always have to be in control. (Which is something I struggle with daily.) It is all just a part of the grand scheme of things. Do not let your emotions cloud your vision. Do not ever fail to see the bigger picture. You may not understand why things are happening the way they are, but soon enough you will know.

No matter what your problem is, big or small, it usually entails a portion of your heart getting broken. Sometimes, it’s only a bruise, sometimes it feels like it is shattered into a million pieces. When dealing with a broken heart, it can be devastating and utterly painful, but sometimes it is just God’s way of calling you back to him, to make you grow as a person, or maybe you have to experience that to pave the way for something much better.

When you become overwhelmed, it is easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. You tend to focus on the present, and feel the enormity of your problem, you feel like you have got the biggest problem in the world, and you feel alone and do not know what to do. And most often than not, you feel the tendency to take matters into your own hands. You tend to do things and you do everything you can to control the situation. And then when things do not go according to what you planned, you find yourself frustrated and bitter. You do not realize, that no matter how you try to control things your way, if it is not meant to be, it is not going to happen. If you refuse to accept it and force it, you are only prolonging the inevitable. You will only delay God’s true plan for you… He has a plan for you if only you learn to be open and let go of the things that he wants you to let go of. So, stop manipulating things. A solution that is manipulated will not bring real happiness.

Problems will always be a part of life, and at times when you are down, when you are at your lowest point, talk to God. If you ask sincerely, he will enlighten you, clear your confusion, ease your pain, calm your fears, and heal your heart. It is not going to provide you an instant solution to your problem, but God works in mysterious ways, and as long as you walk with Him, and just trust and believe, the sooner you will get to that place where you will see everything clearly, and you will finally begin to understand. Everything happens for a reason. You may not understand the reason now, but you will when the time is right.

(Thank you Asher Griffin for supplying me with the photo at the top.)