I have this bad habit that irritates my husband greatly.
I leave half empty water bottles everywhere.
When I say everywhere, I mean like in every room. There are two sitting on my desk right now even as I type this.
My hubby gets so frustrated whenever I do this, but I can't seem to break the habit.
I've often amused myself watching him react to it. I know it's just his thoughts that really irritate him, but he doesn't.
He really believes that me leaving half empty water bottles around in every room is what is ticking him off.
The truth is, most people do think that other people, or the circumstances and situations in life are what make them feel anything.
Who wasn't taught as a child that you shouldn't "hurt" other people's feelings?
The fact of the matter is that other people, circumstances, and situations NEVER cause us to feel anything.
What causes us to feel an emotion, is what we are thinking.
I know - you're tempted to argue with me here, but follow with me for just a minute.
If people and situations were what caused us to feel an emotion, that would mean we have no control.
Why you ask? Because we can't control people and situations.
Now many of us have made it our life's mission to try and do just that, but we all know deep down inside that it's not possible to control any and everything.
So the good news here is that YOU get to control how you feel. You control your feelings by choosing to think thoughts that create the feeling you want to feel.
And no, I don't mean make up something crazy you don't even believe. I mean choose thoughts that you believe and that create feelings you want to feel.
You think you have to wait to feel (fill in the emotion ...joy, happiness, peace) until your circumstances change or until that person you've been trying to change follows you instruction manual of how they SHOULD be acting.
That ain't true sis. You can decide now that you want to feel joy, happiness and peace and then think thoughts that make you feel that way.
That's what living your best life REALLY looks like.
It looks like deciding that you want to have the life God has for you, and doing the work to create that reality.
I'm all about living The TEN Life - where every area of my life is rated a 10 out of 10. I don't need anyone or anything to change in order to do so, and neither do you.
When you choose thoughts and feelings on purpose, your actions and results will line up in a way that will blow your mind.
When you decide that life is not just happening to you anymore, but that you are God's right hand woman - creating the reality of what He has put in your heart, everything will change for you in the best way!