Last.Damn.Call

You know how you get a craving for something you really shouldn’t eat or drink? Maybe it’s a big slice of greasy pizza or a second helping of banana pudding after dinner. Maybe it’s having coffee too late in the evening, too close to bedtime. You put something in, and what you get out is sometimes not what you intended.

For example, that greasy pizza gave you heartburn and now you’re dealing with that. You knew better but just couldn’t resist. Drinking caffeine too late at night keeps you up, starting your whole work week off all tired and unfocused. You got back what you put in, right?

This is no different than the thoughts and feelings we have rolling around in our heads. If I get on a roll and start catastrophizing everything that can go wrong, guess what…something usually does. I put junk thoughts into my brain and in turn, junky results are produced.

Think about this in a simple way…if you have this new outfit that fits just right and has cute shoes or whatever that goes with it, you feel pretty good about yourself in that moment in time, right? Maybe your hair cooperated and is just the way you like it. You put in some effort, and you feel good about the way you look. Odds are you are going to smile more, be more friendly, and have some confidence about you. My self-confidence gets a little boost and therefore, I speak a little more confidently and without hesitation.

Now if I roll out of bed and go the local Wal-Marts (as my granny would call it) and haven’t brushed my teeth or hair and hope to see no one I know…what happens? Every member of my church congregation will be there. Probably my kid’s teacher. Heck, maybe even some celebrity happens to be rolling through town and out shopping at that same time. Perhaps the 5 o’clock news is interviewing people. And my confidence level is now crap. Zero. Non-existent. Simply because I didn’t feel like taking 10 minutes to look presentable. (And honestly, no one cares what you look like! That’s called “thinking everyone cares about what you are doing” and they aren’t. This is a you problem, not a them problem. But that’s another story in itself.)

And what happens to my self-talk…down the drain. Mad at myself, embarrassed, and all because I let those negative thoughts in and now it shows on the outside as well. Negative self-talk in=negative attitude on the outside=slumped shoulders, limited eye contact, and zero interaction with the world. Garbage in=garbage out.

If you tell yourself, you are stupid or lazy enough times, guess what…you start believing it. And acting like it. “Everyone thinks I am a waste of space, so I might as well act like it.” You put garbage thoughts in your head and let them creep out and define who you are.

We all do this. To what extent, depends on the person. I don’t wake up and think I am the most magnificent beast on the planet (beast maybe, but nothing magnificent about me first thing in the morning). I am still trying to practice the whole “getting God into my head before I have the chance to” before my feet even hit the ground. Even if it’s as simple as “Thank you for another day with my family. The ability to go to work. Thank you for watching over the people I love.” That’s not garbage right there-it’s treasure.

Remember, for example, if watching the news makes you feel all depressed and dooms-dayish, turn it off. Find a cute video of monkeys or babies or whatever makes you happy. Garbage in=Garbage out. Happy in=Happy out.

We cannot control a lot of things. But we do have some control over what we put in our body mind, and soul. And that can make or break how we live, how we feel, how we love, and how we perceive each single day. The more positivity you allow yourself to take in, the more blessings you will start to recognize around you. And that, my friends, is what it is all about.