In the late 80’s Bobby McFerrin coined what turned into a very popular tune, ‘Don’t Worry Be Happy’. One line in the song says:
“In every life we have some trouble
When you worry you make it double.
Don’t Worry Be Happy”
This song was written almost 30 years ago but still has a timely message today. My mind is filled with so much these days. Worry plagues me at times. I try my hardest not to worry but it’s something I can’t shake sometimes. Then I saturate myself in God’s Word and He speaks to me ever so gently and says, “It will be alright, I got this”. It’s in those moments that I feel a sense of peace that overtakes me. I enter my happy place.
The ‘happy place’ is a place I love to be in. I rest there, I smile there and I enjoy life there. I’m my best creative self there and I’m refreshed, renewed and rejuvenated in that place. I pray that everyone can find this place and once you find it, come up with a strategy to stay there.
Here are 5 tips I’d like to offer for staying in your ‘happy place’ (for you and me):
- Be Grateful.
-Sounds easy enough right? Not so much when we let worry turn into complaining. What I’ve found is that gratefulness can’t co-exist with other folks like worry and fear. When we put our focus on the things that we do have instead of the things we do not have it adds prospective to those issues we tend to make larger than what they actually are. Also, being grateful keeps our focus on the one who keeps us rather than on our problems.
2. Saturate yourself in God’s Word.
-This is indeed a ‘fo sho mood-changer! Reading about what God says in His Word about your situation is sure to lift your spirits and send you straight to happy! Beyond that, staying in God’s Word helps you against mental attacks of the enemy.
When the enemy whispers: “You’re not good enough”
God says: “You are fearfully wand wonderfully made”
When the enemy whispers: “You just need to accept it and be sad”
God says: “Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning. The joy of the Lord is my strength!!!”
When the enemy whispers: “You are not going to get that task completed, the resources are not there”
God says: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you”.
Saturate yourself in God’s Word and it will surely bring you to ‘happy’.
3. Love, Love & Love More!
-No matter how hard life seems to get you can always rest in the fact that you’ve got family and friends who love you. Revel in that! Keep love in your heart as it will carry you through those tough times. Love life and appreciate it for all its goodness! Trust me, things are not as bad as they seem!!
4. Get Focused Man! (said in my Jigga voice!)
-Don’t let go of your dreams and goals no matter what setbacks you encounter! Stay focused on the ‘why’ and pursue it as if your life depended on it. When you’re focused on your goals, your time to worry dramatically decreases - go figure!
5. Choose Happiness.
-Life is about choices and happiness is one of those choices. This is something that you have to choose and decide to be daily. Life’s pressures can get us down be it relational, financial, emotional or whatever and regardless of what people may think, depression is a real thing - even among the saints! But we serve a God who is gracious and merciful toward us and as my Pastor preached recently - he loads us daily with benefits!! That fact alone ought to bring you back to ‘happy’. Ultimately, the choice is yours and I say - choose happiness daily!
Girrrl find your happy place and stay there! Life is too precious to waste it sitting around worrying about something that God has already worked out!
Girrrl Don’t Worry, Be Happy!!
