Ever felt that way? If you've lived more than one day, you've experienced some "yucky stuff."
As infants the yucky stuff can be...not getting your way or not having your every need met.
As teenagers the yucky stuff can be...not getting your way, not fitting in with your peers, or not having the boy you love, love you back.
As adults the yucky stuff can be losing that dream job, having a wayward child, experiencing divorce or not getting your way. See a pattern here...no matter what age we are, it's always yucky when we don't get our way or life doesn't go as we expected.
So, what do you do with the yucky stuff in your life?
Here's what I have found to be helpful:
*Get Real!
First and foremost acknowledge this event or circumstance is "yucky." Be real about it. It doesn't solve anything to sweep it under the rug because at some point you have to deal with it. So, why not just admit it, face it head on and work your way through it. Acting like your life is perfect, is not healthy for you nor anyone else in your life. So, I believe it's best to just put it on out there. Acknowledge each emotion and walk through the steps of getting to the other side. Stomp your feet, get angry, cry, or be depressed for awhile. Just be real!!! Find a way to drain your pain. Call the boss and tell him you're not coming in today because you're staying home to be depressed. Go to your room, shut the door and cry until you're sick of it. Then get yourself up, dust yourself off and go do what makes you happy like eat some Mexican food!
*Get "It!"
Faith that is!!! If you don't have faith - Find It - and press into it!
Faith is having confidence and trust in God and His promises. He promises He will not give us more than we can handle. He promises He will see us through the storm. He promises to uphold and surround us with His love if we allow Him to. We may not understand it, but there is a Divine purpose for everything that happens to us in life. So our part is not to ask "WHY", but to ask "WHAT!" What is the lesson I am supposed to be learning from this trial. In the midst of the darkness, you will learn lessons that you might never have learned in the day. Pain is inevitable but misery is optional.
With every tribulation you experience in life, it can make you either better or bitter. What will you focus on? What will your attitude be? The remarkable thing about attitude is that we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for the day. Having the Attitude of Gratitude breaks the cycle of "the Yucky Stuff Blues!" But gosh it's hard to praise when you're poopy! That is why the Bible calls it the Sacrifice of Praise. Sometimes we just don't "feel" like it...praising...but when we do, it helps us change our focus and makes us feel better.
The choice is totally up to you!
So, at the end of the day try turning your troubles over to God...He's going to be up anyway!!
* Get on Down the Road!
After you've acknowledged your troubles, worked your way through the emotions, put your faith in God that He is in control...then pick up the pieces and get going!!! Take notes from the household products around you...Joy, Zest, Cheer, Glad! Find the splashes of joy around you each day. A happy heart is like good medicine.
One of the best ways of accomplishing this is to have rubbish removal of the mind. Fixate your thoughts on what is true, good and right. Dwell on the fine, good things in yourself and others. Your thoughts are like planes and you are the traffic controller. It's your decision which plane you let land on the landing strip of your mind. So, set your automatic pilot on "Optimistic" and get going. Most of the time, your day goes the way the corners of your mouth turn. Be aware of the small pleasures around you..a hug, a full moon, a glorious sunset, an empty parking place, a great meal...enjoy life's tiny delights...there are plenty for all of us to share. Surround yourself with positive happy people. Find what nurtures you and do it. Wherever you are...be there!!! Show up for each and every moment of your day. Don't let the sorrow of the past ruin the beautiful moments of today!
Though some of our days may be dark and full of "yucky stuff", we can still keep a rainbow in our hearts. We can choose to stay under our dark cloud OR we can get busy finding our rainbow.
So the next time you're hit with the Yucky Stuff...
Get Real and acknowledge this is "yucky"...face it and take the steps to get through it. Then..
Get "It"and press into it...Faith! Learn the lesson and trust God that He is in control. Then...
Get Moving and choose to make the most of each day!
Life isn't wrapped up with a bow, but it's still a Gift!